Full text of "W. Blacker's art of angling, and complete system of fly making and dying [sic] of colours : illustrated with plates shewing the difference processes of the fly before it is finished, giving the angler a perfect knowledge of every thing requisite to complete him in this noble art"

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799.12
B563

W. BLACKER

The well known Fly Genius, and Piscator's Scientific
Workj on the

To he had of the Author only,
Ko. 54, DEAN STREET, SOHO, LONDON.

N.B« — Bound together with W. B*s Comprehensive
Work of last year, both copies.

ENTERED AT STATIONERS HALL.

(See date of each title page, contents, and notice.)

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Dec. 8., 1843.

azid ConLplete System of

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ILLUSTRATED "WTTH SLATES,

©lYD^CS- TME AK(&jL]S]K. A
perfect knowledge of ever)^

MCDIBILIE AIE^

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR
AND DYER OF COLOURS,

MAIRCIE, lQ4k2c

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CONTENTS

PAGE

Art of Fly Making 3

To Make the Fly 4

The Palmer or Hackle Fly 7

On Salmon Hooks ^ 10

Description op Flies 19

The Wren-tail Fly, and Grouse Hackle ib.

The Ant Fly, and the Sooty Olive Fly 20

Soldier Palmer Fly, and Red Palmer Fly 21

Golden Palmer, and Grey Palmer 22

The Black Palmer, and Little Castle Fly 23

The Grey Housewife, and Stone Fly 24

Cowdung Fly, and Black Gnat 25

The Little Soldier Fly, and Hare's Ear Fly 26

Blue Blow Fly, and Green Drake 27

Grey Drake, and Hawthorn Fly 28

The Black Ant, and Little Gosling 29

The Evening Moth, and the Bee 30

The Brown Bear, and Faren Fly 31

The Midge, and the Emerald Fly 32

The Whirling Dun, and Pismire 33

Whirling Brown 34

The Feathers requisite for Fly Making, and } oo

where found 5

Dun Crow, Back Feather, which makes the } ^o

Gilleruigh Fly ] "^^

Remarks upon Salmon P^tiEs, etc 40

The River Bush, Bushmills 41

The Shannon Flies 42

Receipts for Dyeing —
For Blue, Red, Yellow, Brown and Black. . , ,44—46

For Flame Coloured Scarlet 47

Composition for Scarlet ib.

For Staining Gut ib.

CONTENTS

PAGE

Catechism of Fly Making 50

Second method of making the Trout-fly 65

The Palmer 56

„ Palmer or Hackle-fly 57

„ Pike-fly 59

„ Fire-fly 64

To make the India-ruhber fly 65

Five beautiful Miniature Flies 67

L— The Wren-tail 68

2. — „ Iron Blue ib.

3.— „ Yellow Dun or Upright ib.

4.— „ Aller or Alder-fly 69

5. — „ Partridge or Grouse Hackle, , ib.

The Golden Plover Hackle 71

The Needle -fly or Harry long legs • • ib.

„ Partridge Hackle ib.

Three Dun Palmers 72

Four celebrated Evening Flies for the River Thames,

at Weybridge, Surrey ib.

Two Chub Flies 73

The Great Caterpillar or Hairy-worm , 74

„ Cadis-worm or Cor-bait , 76

Instructions for Twisting Gut, Making Casting

Lines, &c 78

Recipe for Yellow, • «••,••.•«.•,.»••,•,•,• t •••• • 80

CONTENTS.

Another Recipe for Yellow 82

The Salmon 87

Description of one hundred Salmon Flies 90

The Dragon-fly 91

5, Shannon Flies ib.

Salmon Flies for the River Tweed 98

„ „ for the River Erene, Ballyshannon. ... 105

„ „ for the River Boyne, Drogheda 108

Five Flies for Sea Trout or Salmon Pale 110

Salmon Flies for the River Ness, Inverness Ill

„ „ for the River Spey 114

„ „ for the Findorn, Elgin, neai* the Spey 117
„ „ for the Rivers Dee and Don, Aber-
deen » ib.

„ „ for the Rivers Brora and Shin,

Sutherland 118

„ „ for the R^iver Tay, Perth 120

„ „ for the River Tyne, Newcastle 121

„ „ for Wales ib.

„ „ for Norway 122

Lake Flies for Ireland ib.

„ „ Scotland ib.

English and Irish Hooks 123

To make the Scotch Trout Fly ib.

„ „ Scotch Salmon Fly 125

„ „ Spinning Minnow Tackle •.•••.«••• 127

NOTICE

A new edition of the art of Fly Making
and Dyeing having been called for, in con-
sequence of some becoming dissatisfied
respecting the number of pages contained
in the first — and, not allowing themselves
time to study the instructions given therein,
censured it for its diminutive appearance —
forgetting that a great deal of matter could
be propounded in few words. My prin-
cipal intention, in the first instance, for
having written it in a summary manner,
was to prevent incumbrance, and to afford
the lovers of the gentle craft an opportunity
of keeping it in their side-pocket (as my
father used to carry his excise minute book),
so as to have it always convenient when on
their piscatory excursions. But having

11 NOTICE.

heretofore silenced the pretending fraternity
of the present day respecting my Fly-mak-
ing genius, I will here also remark, that
for ages to come, this pocket companion
will remain unrivalled as a scientific and
practical work. I have perused many books
on the art of angling, and although their
authors were clever men, yet none of them
have come even near anything like teaching
the principal branch of an angler's educa-
tion.

Seeing, therefore, that practice with dili-
gence becomes expedient, and the only
means to ensure success, I sincerely trust,
that when the student becomes perfect
master of his art, he will give Csesar his due.

I have added to the former work — neces-
sary imitations of the most killing and
beautiful flies that Trout love to feed upon
— necessary instructions for making gut
casting lines, and twist gut — to make the

NOTICE. HI

Pike-fly — the spinning tackle — route to the
streams — one hundred specimens of the
artificial Dragon-fly to suit each noted
Salmon river — with a Catechism of Fly-
making, that will afford the students every
opportunity of retaining the whole process,
that when it is perfectly understood and
rehearsed in the mind, they may apply with
more certain facility the hand to both ma-
terial and hook.

W. Blacker.

54, Dean Street, Soho,
December 8, 1843.

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR.

ENTERED AT STATIONERS* HALL.

BLACKER'S
ART OF FLY-MAKINC.

A concise account of the best Fly-fishing Stations, on
each of the principal rivers and lakes in Great Britain and
Ireland; shewing the route from London, Dublin, Edin-
burgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, and Belfast; giving also the
Flies best adapted for Salmon and Trout fishing on each.

1st. Rivers ; 2nd. Angling Stations, The Salmon Stations^
marked thus * ; the best Trout Stations, thus f ; Salmon
and Trout Stations, thus J.

1. The Thames ;:[ 2. Windsor. An artificial minnow,
manufactured by the author, is a most destructive bait in
the Thames, and in all other rivers and lakes. Flies in
use for trout, Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13. (Compare the
foregoing numbers, attached to each fly, in the description,
page 19; Salmon flies, page 41 and 42.)

1. The Colne ;f 2. Uxbridge, 15 miles from London,
(Middlesex.) Flies to answer, Nos. 2,10, 11, 13, 15, 16,
18, 19, 25.

1. The Wandle;f 2. Carshalton, 12 miles from Lon-
don, (Surrey). Flies, Nos. 15, 16, 17, 27, 29, 30, 31.

1. The Derwent;f 2. Famingham, (Kent County,)
seventeen miles from London. See the Wandle flies.

1 . The Dove ;f 2. Dovedale, five miles from Ashbourne,
1. The Derwent;f 2. Baslow, Derbyshire. Flies, Nos.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14, 18, 24, 28, 30, 31.

1. The Eden, J the Croglin, the Petteril, the Emont,
and the Lowther; 2. Penrith, Cumberland, § 282 miles
\ See the Northern Tourist's Gaide to the Lakes.

from London, and 18 from Carlisle; the lakes, Ulswater,
Derwentwater, and Buttermere. Flies, Nos. 1 , 2, 3, 4, 6,
8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, 31.

1. The Wye ;l 2. Hereford, near Hay. Flies, Nos. 1,

2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 13, 15, 16, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31. ||

1. The Tweed;* 2. Kelso, Roxburghshire; Peebles,
Mailros; route from Penrith or Edinburgh. Salmon flies,
page 41 and 42.

1. The Clvde ;f 2. Lanark, near Glasgow. Flies, Nos.

3, 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31.

1. The Doon,J the Stincher,* and Girvan;f 2. Ayre,
route from Glasgow. Trout flies, Nos. 3, 4, 9, 13, 14, 15,
16, 20, 26, 30. Salmon flies, see page 42.

1. The Awe,* and Lock Awe; J 2 Inverary, Argyle-
shire, route from Glasgow. Salmom flies, page 41 and 42.
Trout flies, Nos. 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 16, 19, 24, 26.

1. Loch Lomond ;;j: 2. Dumbarton, route from Glasgow.
(See the awe flies.)

I. The Ness;* 2. Inverness, North of Scotland, route
from Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, or direct
from London; the Beauley,* in Rosshire; the Brora,* in
Sutherlandshire ; the Carron,* in Stirlingshire : all the
last mentioned rivers are convenient to Inverness, Flies
very gaudy, see page 42.

1. The Spey;* 2. Elgin, on the direct road from Aber-
deen to Inverness. Flies very gaudy ; size, see page 42.

1. The Tay ;* 2. Perth and Dunkeld, route from Dun-
dee. Salmon flies, page 41 and 42.

RITERS IN IRELAND, WEST OF DUBLIN.

1. The Liff'y; 2. Leixlip, 8 miles from Dublin, and 23
from Newbridge. The flies described, pages 19, 41, and
42, will kill trout and salmon in all the rivers and lakes
in Ireland.

1. The Shannon;* 2. Castleconnel and Athlone,
Limerick, 94 miles from Dublin.

II See G. Agar Hansard, on Fly-fishiug in Wales.

1. The lakesf of Westmeath ; 2. Mnllingar, 38 miles from
Dublin. (See the five flies described page 42.)

1. Lough Allen, J the chief source of the Shannon;
2. Inismagrath, 90 miles from Dublin.

1. The Suck;f 2. Ballynaslow, 5 miles from Shannon
bridge.

I. Lakes of Killamey,:j: County Kerry, S. W. ; 2. Dun-
loe and Killamey, 142 miles from Dublin, route by
Limerick, and 46 miles from the lakes.

1. Lough Mask;f 2. Ballinrobe, County Mayo, 108
milevS from Dublin; Lough Conib, Galway County, o
miles from Lough Mask.

1. The Lee,f and Bride ;f 2. Ownsinn, 10 miles from
Cork, and 122 from Dublin.

1. The Black Water ;:{: 2. Cappaquin, 25 miles from
Cork, County- Waterford.

1. The Noiur,f Suire,f and Barrow ;f 2. Waterford,
County, 74 miles from Dublin. Station on each river —
the Suir,§ at Clonmel, 20 miles from Waterford; the Bar-
row,f at Athy, Kildare County, 32 miles from Dublin ; the
Noiur, at Kilkenny, o7 miles from Dublin.

1. The Slaney;f 2. Newtown -harry, Waterford County;
and at Enniscorthy, 60 miles fii'om Dublin — (the sea ti-out
fishing here is excellent.)

RIVERS NORTH OF DUBLIN.

1. The Boyne;* 2. Droghada, 23 miles from Dublin.

1. The Upper Bann;f 2. Banbridge, 20 miles from
Belfast.

1. Lough Neagh; 2. Antrim, 12 miles from Belfast,
and 84 from Dublin. This lake is 23 miles in length, and
12 in breadth, and possesses a petrifying quality.

\ The gentle Swire, that making way,
By sweet Clonmel, adorns rich Waterford.

SPENCER.

]. The Main-water ;+ 2. Randalstown, Shanes Castle,
4 miles from the last-mentioned town. County of Antrim.

1. The Lower Bann;+ 2. Toomb Bridge, {^^ see the
river Bann, and Bush, page 40,) four miles from the Main-
water.

1. The Roe; J 2. Newtown -limavaddy, 10 miles from
Coleraine, and 109 from Dublin, on the road to Derry.
Purple, dark blue, and claret flies, are used on this river.

1. Lough Erne;J 2. Enniskillen, Fermanagh County,
79 miles from Dublin, and 45 from Belfast.

1. The River Erne;* 2. Ballyshannon (salmon leap),
20 miles from Enniskillen, and 100 from Dublin.

1. Lough Gilly jf 2. Sligo, 15 miles fromBallyshannon.

1. The Rivers Derg,t Poe,t Moyle,t Moui*ne,t and
Foyle; 2. Strabane, 10 miles from Derry, and 112 from
Dublin.

1. The Black-water ;t 2. Moye, Charlemont, 6 miles
from Armagh, 30 from Belfast, and 68 from Dublin. The
trout run large in this river.

The Salmon Leap of Coleraine is 50 miles from that of
Ballyshannon.

To Ireland — route, from London to Liverpool, by steam
conveyance, and from Liverpool, daily, across the Channel,
in fourteen hours, by the mail packets ; also, to Belfast,
in the same space of time; to Glasgow, Cork, Derry, &c.

Description of a most killing Salmon Fly, particularly recom-
mended to those who Jish in the rivers in the North oj
. Scotland.

Body — blue, yellow, green, and light brown mohair,
mixed well together. Legs — black cock's hackle, rolled
up the body with gold tinsel. Wings — mallard, peacock's
wing, guinea hen, and teal feathers, mixed, two fibres of
each. Tail — golden pheasant crest, small feather; hook,
No. 9, Limerick.

<jeo. Nichols, Printer, EarPs Court, Soho.

Picker

SacJde^

On **^alnion .Sooks

^ '' Mf^tUri 1>.IK

THE

ART OF FLY MAKING,

DYEING, &c.

_Having spent my youthful days in roaming
along the banks of the beautiful and romantic
streams of my native land — Ireland, and having
been for twenty years a skilful angler, and Fly
Maker of celebrity, in both Great Britain and
Ireland, it is my desire to impart to the world,
plainly and easily, the knowledge I have acquired,
that all those who wish to become masters of
the art, may, by patience and practice, and a
close adherence to the instructions I shall lay
down, derive the fullest benefit from my ex-
perience.

1 have endeavoured in the following treatise
on Fly Making, to divest the subject, as far as
possible, of all technicalities and superfluities;
at the same time I have entered into such full
details on all points essential in the construction

of the fly, that by adopting the process I have
pointed out, and following the instructions I have
given, the aspirants to the art of fly-making may
speedily become proficient in the craft.

I have added to " the Art of Fly-making" full
instructions and the most approved recipes for
dyeing mohair, pig's hair, feathers, and other
articles most useful and appropriate for imitating
the natural flies, and retaining their beauty
through all the vicissitudes to which they may
be exposed.

TO MAKE THE FLY.

In the first place let the student provide him-
self with the following articles and instruments,
viz. mohair, pig's hair, fur, and silk of every
colour, shade, and texture ; an assortment of
feathers as described hereafter ; gold and silver
twist, and tinsel of various dimensions ; hooks of
all sizes; silk-worm gut; a pair of sharp pointed
scissors ; a pair of pliers, and a small picker.
Having all things prepared, let him seat him-
self at a good light, and proceed as follows : —
Get a small piece of shoemaker's wax, hold

your tying silk (about a foot in length) one
end between your teeth, the other in your left
hand, waxing it up and down, until there be
enough on the silk, observing to wax the silk
well you tie on your hook with ; then take your
trout-hook in your left hand, by the bend, pla-
cing your silk, just waxed, on the shank, giving
three or four turns of it towards you, before you
put on the gut — this prevents slipping. Choose
then the roundest end of your gut, according to
the size of your hook, chew it a little with your
teeth, and place it on, letting the end come
about half-way down the shank, underneath the
hook ; hold both together with the nails of your
left hand fore-finger and thumb, winding your silk
towards you down the shank until opposite the
point of the hook — your gut is then firmly tied
on : turning your hook in your hand, hold it by
the shank, you now turn the silk from you, (the
hook is always held by the left hand and the silk
wound by the right, and by turning the hook
in your^hand you have more command of the
fly); then, opposite the barb of your hook, on
the shank, tie on your tail two-eighths of an inch
long, and your tip of tinsel, with one turn of
your waxed silk over each to secure them, (see

plate I.) holding your hook still between your
forefinger and thumb nails, place your middle
finger against the silk where you tie on your tail,
to keep it from slipping, then take hold of the
tying silk in your right hand, close to the hook,
and twist on it a small bit of mohair, shifting
your hook, held in your left fore-finger and
thumb, and winding it up to form the body of
the fly, till within an eighth of an inch from the
end of the shank, and there place on your hackle,
previously prepared, tying it down with a run-
ning knot of the silk at the point. (See hackle
prepared and tied on, plate ii.) Now turn your
hook in your left hand, holding it by the bend,
and with your right hand turn your hackle twice
or thrice round the shoulder, close where your
hook is left bare the eighth of an inch, keeping
the middle finger of the hand your hook is in tight
against the hackle, to prevent it from slipping,
until you give two turns of your silk round it,
and fasten it down Avith a running knot, (see
plate III.) then pull out one of the pinion fea-
thers of the starling's wing, and cut off two
small pieces of the soft feather from the stem, at
the same time holding your fly between the fore-
finger and thumb nails of your left hand, close

to where you are about to place on your wings,
(the small bit of hook bare at the end of the
shank,) your silk hanging where you tied down
your hackle ; lay on one of your wings at the
offside of your fly, giving a turn of the waxed
silk over it, keeping your middle finger tight
against it, while you take up your other wing,
and place it on in like manner at the near side
of your fly, not allowing your wings to be too
long over the bend of your hook, clip the end
of your feather close off, and finish with two
running knots of the waxed silk, giving at the
same time, two or three turns of your silk round
the gut, to prevent the point of the shank from
cutting it; cut off your silk close and your fly is
finished, (see plate iv.)

THE PALMER OR HACKLE FLY.

To make the palmer, or hackle fly, you tie on
the hook and gut as before, and when you have the
tying silk opposite the barb on the shank, you will
place on two hackles of equal shape to answer
the size of the hook, having tied them together at
the roots of the stem with a piece of waxed silk

before fastening them on ; (you are now hold-
ing the hook by the shank,) the inside of each
hackle tied down, and the points prepared, on the
shank of the hook opposite the barb, tie on the
tinsel to rib the body and the floss silk to form it
at the same place — then shift the hook in your
hand, still holding it by the shank, till within
the eighth of an inch from the end. (My pupil
should hold the hook tight between his left fore-
finger and thumb nails in all the processes of the

fly.)

Now take the floss silk in your right hand,
and roll it up the hook regularly till you bring
it in close contact with your left fore-finger and
thumb nails, and then tie it down and clip it
off; — turn the hook in your hand and hold it
by the bend, letting your waxed silk hang where
you clipped off* the floss, having left a small por-
tion of the hook to tie down the hackles when
you bring them up the body, as you finish on the
end of the shank; then take hold of the tinsel
with your right hand and roll it up over the floss
silk body slantingly four or five times, or less
according to the size of the hook (taking care to
keep the middle finger of your left hand the hook
is in tight against both tinsel and hackle at each

turn you give over the body) and fasten it with
a running knot of the silk ; leave the silk hang-
ing, and clip off the tinsel, then take hold of the
hackles in your right hand, and turn them slan-
tingly from you over the body in rotation with
the tinsel, the outsides of the hackle next the
body, till you bring them in close contact with
the end of the shank (taking care to keep your
middle finger, as aforesaid, tight against the
hackle at each turn over the body to keep it
from slipping off ) ; then tie down the hackles,
clip off the ends, and finish with two running
knots, and varnish it. Press the fly between your
fingers to slant the hackles downwards ; pea-
cock's harl is tied on in the same manner as the
floss silk, the tinsel rolled over it and then the
hackle ; mohair is twisted on the tying silk and
rolled up over the body in like manner, then the
tinsel and hackle.

ON SALMON HOOKS.

The method taken is precisely the same, tying on
your salmon hook first, and winding your waxed
silk round the shank, before placing on your gut,
to prevent slipping. Tip your fly with gold.
Observe to tie on your tail, tinsel, hackle, and
half your body with finer silk than you tied on
your salmon hook with, to prevent your fly from
being clumsy at the tail. You may put a turn
or two of black ostrich harl at the tail, when
you wish to make gaudy flies, tying on your
tinsel and hackle close above the ostrich, and
casting a running knot over to keep it secure,
(see plate v.), then twist your mohair round your
waxed silk as above ; turn it round the shank of
the hook towards the end to form your body,
until you come about one quarter of an inch
from the end of the shank ; cast a running knot
over it with your silk, turn your hook in your
hand and hold it by the bend ; then roll your
tinsel up towards the head, the eighth of an inch
apart, fasten it as above, then take your hackle,
previously tied on at the tail, roll it slantingly up

with the tinsel, observing to keep it always on
its back, by giving the stem a twist in your fore-
finger and thumb, when placing it up the body
with your right hand, tie it down as before, (see
plate VI.) leaving one-eighth of an inch of your
hook bare to receive your wings.

Wax your silk well before tying on the wings,
in all cases using a little spirit varnish before
and after you tie them on, as it is very essential,
especially when you make Irish fly-wings of
numerous kinds of feathers. Put on a piece of
black ostrich for head, turning it from you with
the right hand, after guarding the gut with the
silk and placing a running knot over it, close
between the ostrich and root of the wings. This
gives the fly an appearance of having a neck,
and with your little pencil, lay on the varnish,
and it never can slip. The wings of Irish sal-
mon flies are placed on exactly as in the above
trout-fly, keeping the different mixture of fea-
thers to be placed on at each side, (or more on
the top of your hook), and taking care to press
them tight down with your thumb nail, where
you tie your silk several times over, clipping off*
the refuse ends of the feathers. You may place
at each side your wings, kingfisher feathers, (very

killing) with two fibres of macaw. You may
also place any coloured hackle or feathers you
think proper over the part where you have se-
cured your wings, and sprig it at each side with
gaudy feathers, to keep the large lump occa-
sioned by the quantity of feathers tied on
invisible.

If my readers would fancy to tie on their
trout-fly wings first, let them tie on their hook
as before, and at the end of the shank, tie on
starling or mallard wings, the tip ends pointing
up the gut (see plate vii.), guessing at the same
time the length of the wings, when turned, to
appear in proportion to the hook ; then begin at
the tail of the fly, as aforesaid, put on the body,
tinsel and hackle, close up to the wings, tied the
reverse way ; divide the wings with your picker,
turning your silk in and out, to separate them
properly, turn up the wings with your right
thumb nail, catching both body and wings in
your left hand finger and thumb ; give two turns
of your waxed silk over the head to keep the
wings down, finishing your fly upon the small
bit of the hook remaining at the head. This is
my own plan of making trout flies, called the
Irish way. They evidently must last longer, the

wings being tied on first, turned over the fly,
and secured at the head.

TO TIE ON THE IRISH AND SCOTCH SALMON WINGS,
AND MIX THE FEATHERS, COLOURS, ETC.

The wings of Irish flies are very difficult to tie
on, in as much as there is such a quantity of
mixtures. When you have the tail, body, hackle,
and tinsel properly put together on the hook,
and the eighth of an inch of the end of the shank
bare to receive the wings, you then wax the silk
and put on a little spirit varnish where you have
just tied down the hackle, as it keeps the wings
firm ; lay down your fly and mix the wings
thus : — First strip off* three fibres of the peacock's
wing feather, the black and white, and place
them on your knee as you sit, (the like quan-
tity for the other wing,) three fibres of brown
mallard, and place them even with the above;
then three fibres of light spotted turkey's tail
feather even with the points of the same, now
two fibres of the sword feather of the peacock's
tail on each mixed wing, then break off* two
pieces of the golden-pheasanf s neck or tippet

feather, lay them on in like manner ; then three
fibres of blue macaw on each wing, and two
fibres of guinea-hen's rump feather, with the
same quantity of teal (found underneath the
wings of that wild fowl) ; you may wet the points
of the fibres in your mouth before you lay them
down to keep them together, then place on two
fibres of amazon parrot's tail and three of orange
macaw's feather ; now having mixed both your
wings alike, take up one wing in your right fore-
finger and thumb nails and hold it tightly, take
up your fly with the left hand, (the silk attached
where you tied down the hackle,) place the wing
on at the ofF-side of the fly (let it be the eighth
of an inch longer than the bend of the hook)
take hold of both body and wing with the left
fore finger and thumb nails tightly, and with
your right hand hold the silk and give two
turns over the wing, pressing it well down with
the nail of the right hand ; and cast a running knot
over it ; then in like manner take up the other
wing and place it on, taking care to keep the
wings the same length, and hold them tight
between your nails to prevent them turning the
reverse way ; cast the silk three times over
them, and press them down tight with the thumb

aail of your right hand, still holding the fly
between the nails of your left ; then with the right
turn up the refuse ends at the point of the shank
and cut them close off; now wax the silk and
turn it over the part where you cut off the ends
of the feathers, and guard the gut immediately
under the point of the shank to prevent the hook
from cutting it. Bring the silk back to the root
of the wings and cast a running knot over it,
place on a little spirit varnish, then take two
fibres of the blue and yellow macaw's tail feather,
place one at each side two eighths of an inch
longer than the wings, give two turns of the silk
over them ; here you may put on a blue jay
feather, strip off the bad side of this feather and
pare the thick part of the stem away with your
scissors, place it on as a hackle and turn it over
the head the blue side outwards ; slanting over
both wing and hackle place a blue kingfisher
feather at each side the head, and tie on the
black ostrich harl, give two or three turns of it
over the head and fasten it off at the roots of the
wings with two running knots of the waxed silk,
cut it off and lay on a little varnish to secure it
(see plate viii,)

WINGS OF SCOTCH FLIES.

You may place on the wings of Scotch salmon
flies in this manner : —Clip off from the black
and white turkey's tail feather two pieces the
eighth of an inch wide, and with the left fore-
finger and thumb nails hold the fly tight where
you are about to place on the wings, then with
the right forefinger and thumb place on the off'-
side wing the exact length of the bend of the
hook, keep it tight between your right hand
nails to prevent the fibres from breaking ; let
this first wing come under the nail of the fore-
finger of your left hand you are holding the fly
with, and with the right cast over it two turns of
the waxed silk ; now take up the second wing and
place it on at the near side in like manner, keep
the left thumb nail tight upon it, and give two
turns of the silk over both and press them tight
down with the right hand thumb nail, now clip
off* the ends of the feather and roll the waxed silk
closely over it, guarding the gut from the hook,
bring the silk back to the roots of the wings and
cast two running knots over them, cut off* the
silk and varnish the head, (see plate ix.)

To mix mohair of different colours for salmon
flies — take blue, scarlet, yellow, green, orange,
and brown, mix them well together with your
fingers and thumbs till they appear as one colour.
And when dark mixture is required, add the
greater portion of the darker stuff and the light
in like manner.

As I have now laid before the angler a perfect
method of making his fly, from the largest sal-
mon, down to the smallest midge, I will proceed
to give a description of what I term the Standard
Flies, which I have used in my time with great
success on the rivers in Great Britain and Ire-
land, and which will kill in any other country
where the angler may chance to reside — cele-
brated flies, that have afforded capital sport.

Flies de^criled in CaZalocfhit
CExoxi Sixf...

3^C.jC».t(iuirt htk

19
DESCRIPTION OF FLIES.

I.— The Wren Tail Fly. {Standard.)

Hook f. — Body, Amber mohair.

Tail, Two fibres of the drake feather,

gold tip.
Legs or Hackle, Wren tail.
Wings, Partridge's grey tail feather.

2. — Grouse Hackle. {May and June.)

Hook fF. — Body, Gold colour or orange silk.
Legs, Grouse hackle.*
Gold tip.

♦ When yoQ tie on the grouse hackle take hold of
the same in your right hand ; and with the left, the
point of the same ; draw the fibres back with the right,
tie it on at the point, and roll it on the back or outside
the feather, as this keeps the hackle slanting down-
wards.

3.— The Ant Fly. (August)

Hook fe. — Body, Cinnamon brown mohair.
Legs, Red hackle (small).
Wings, Starling's wing feather.

4.— The Sooty Olive Fly. (July.)

Hook f, — Body, Dark olive mohair.
Tail, Gold tip.

Legs, Dark olivehackleattheshoulders,
Wings, Woodcock or starling.

5. — Soldier Palmer Fly. (Standard.)

Hook fF. — Body, Peacock harl.
Tail, Tip of gold.
Legs, Two black-red hackles at the

shoulder.
(Palmer flies have no wings).

6. — Red Palmer Fly, {From May to July.)

Hook fF. — Body, Red or orange mohair, with
gold twist or tinsel up the body.
Legs, Two red hackles, wound on
from the tail up to the head, in ro-
tation with the tinsel.

7. — Golden Palmer. {July,)

Hook fFf. — Body, Yellow silk and tinsel, rolled
on from the tail.
Legs, Two red hackles.

8. — Grey Palmer, {April,)

Hook fFf. — Body, Peacock harl, and gold or
silver twist, wound up to the head.
Legs, Two grey hackles, in like man-
ner.

9.— The Black Palmer. (May.)

Hook flf. — Body, Black mohair or silk, gold tip.
Legs, Two black hackles, rolled on
from the tail.

10. — The Little Castle Fly. {1st. June.)

Hook fe. — Body, Yellow silk, gold tip.

Tail, Two fibres of mallard, dyed

yellow.
Legs, Yellow hackle at the shoulder.
Wings, Thrush's wing, or yellow fea-
ther.

II. ^The Grey Housewife. {April and Sept,)

Hook fF. — Body, Light brown mohair, mixed

with hare's ear fur.
Tail, Two fibres of the mallard.
Legs, Partridge neck feather, or grey

cock hackle.
Wings, Hen pheasant's wing, or grey

drake.

12.— The Stone Fly. {April and May.)

Hook fff. — Body, Brown mohair, mixed with
yellow mohair.

Tail, Two fibres of the mallard.

Legs, Black-red hackle, close at the
head.

Wings, Brown mallard, or hen phea-
sant's tail.

13. — Cow Dung Fly. (July.)

Hook f. — Body, Lemon coloured mohair.

Legs, Cinnamon coloured hackle,
Wings, Landrail's wing.

14. — Black Gnat. (June.)

Hook fe. — Black ostrich, gold tip.

Legs, Small black hackle.
Wings, Starling's wing.

15. — The Little Soldier Fly. {Standard.)

Hook fe. — Body, Gold coloured mohair or floss.
Legs, Small black-red hackle.
Wings, Starling and partridge tail,
mixed.

\Q.— Hare's Ear Fly. {March, April, ^c)

Hook f.— Body, Hare's ear fur, and a little yel-
low mohair, mixed.
Wings, Starhng, bunting, or wood-
cock.

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17. — Blue Blow Fly. (June.)

Hook Midge. — Body, Mole or water-rat's fur»
mixed with yellow mohair.
Tail, Mouse's whiskers.
Legs, Dun hackle.
Wings, Tomtit's tail feather.

18. — The Green Drake. (May.)

Hook fff. — Body, Yellow-green mohair.

Tail, Three hairs from a black bear.
Legs, Yellowish hackle.
Wings, Mallard, dyed yellow — a
black head.

19. — Grey Drake, (End of April,)

Hook iff. — Body, Rat's back fur, mixed with
yellow mohair.
Tail, Three fibres of the mallard.
Legs, Grey hackle.
Wings, Grey mallard.
Head, Peacock harl.

20. — Hawthorn Fly. (May.)

Hook ff.— Body, Black mohair.

Legs, Black hackle, at the shoulder.
Wings, Starling or jay wings.

21.— The Black Ant. (July,)

Hook f. — Body, Black mohair.
Legs, Black hackle.
Wings, Water-hen wing, or woodcock.

22.— The Little Gosling. (July,)

Hook fe.— Body, Yellow green mohair.

Legs, Red or cinnamon hackle.
Wings, Starling or bunting wing.

23. — The Evening Moth.

Hook C. — Body, Cream-coloured mohair, full.
Legs, Hackle, same colour as body.
Wings, Owl's wing.

2^.— The Bee. {Standard,)

Hook fff. — Body, Yellow tail, then brown, then

black.
Legs, Black-red hackle, at the head.
Wings, Hen pheasant, or partridge

wings.

25. — The Brown Bear. {End of March,)

Hook fF. — Body, Cinnamon brown mohair.
Tail, Two fibres of mallard.
Legs, Cinnamon hackle.
Wings, Woodcock wing.

26. — Faren Fly, (July.)

Hook fe. — Body, Yellow tag at the tail and pea-
cock harl.
Legs, lied hackle at the shoulder.
Wings, Starling wing, or partridge
tail.

21.— The Midge. {June,)

Hook Midge. — Body, Ash coloured fur.

Tail, Two fibres of a grizzle.
Hackles. (No legs).
Wings, Bunting wing, or lark.
(Fox fur, off the face, or American squirrel.)

28. — The Emerald Fly, {August.)

Hook Midge. — Body, Emerald-green mohair, or

silk.
Tail, Two fibres of a grizzle

hackle.
Legs, Black-red hackle, (round

the shoulder.)
Wings, Starling, or bunting wing.

29,^The Whirling Dun. (June and July.)

Hook f. — Body, Water rat's fur ribbed with yel-
low silk.
Tail, Two fibres of a dun hackle.
Legs, Dun hackle at the shoulder.
Wings, Starling wing.

30. — Pismire. (June and July.)

Hook fe. — Body, Brown mohair.

Legs, Small red hackle, wound up
from the tail.
. (No wings.)

31. — Whirling Brown. {August,)

Hook f. — Body, Cinnamon brown mohair.
Legs, Red or cinnamon hackle.
Wings, Woodcock wing.

I have always found the Natural Flies, of every
size, to have a tinge of green throughout the
year ; and the greyish colour of the flies in the
spring months is precisely the same in the latter
end of the season. The angler should examine
the natural flies at all times when he is on the
stream, and if he perceive that they have a tinge
of green, he should mix a little with his standard
colours, or if the body of the fly is made of floss
silk, he should place the green at the shoulder
underneath the hackle, and judge of the shade of
green he should use by the appearance of the
natural fly.

I wish now to give the fly fisher an idea of
placing his trout flies on the casting hne ; for
instance — put on the wren tail or grouse hackle
at the end, the hare's ear or whirling dun in the
centre ; the black gnat, blue blow, or midge,
next your hand or reel line ; be sure to have the
casting line the length of the rod, and keep your
reel line out of the water at all times when you
cast the flies, as the ripple on the surface is sure
to scare the fish.

The best and cheapest mode of procuring an assort-
ment of feathers for fly-making is to go to Leadenhall
Poultry Market, on Saturday mornings, where cock's
hackles of every colour and size, for both trout and
salmon flies, from either the living or dead birds, small
wings of every variety in their season, turkey and
guinea-fowl tail and wing featliers ; mallard, teal,
widgeon, and wildfowl feathers of every variety, both
British and foreign, can be bought at reasonable
prices.

Mohair and other furs can be got from the furriers,
pig's hair from the brush manufacturers, floss and
tying silk from the mercers, gold and silver twist and
tinsel from the laceman, and dyeing materials froiirthe
druggists and dry-salters.

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The foregoing are what I term Standard Flies,
to suit any climate, go where you may, ac-
cording to the state of the weather, upon which
I will now give a few brief remarks to the angler,
that he may know the days in which trout are
to be taken with the fly.

In the morning, when the hoar frost is on the
grass in the spring, you may stay at home ;
otherwise, when the morning appears mild and
serene, with the horizon clear at the point from
whence the wind blows, and no appearance of
heavy clouds or rain, with the wind gently blow-
ing dry from the south, let the angler prepare
himself for a day's sport, as I know by experience
and long patience in angling. On such days
as this I have had astonishing success. In sum-
mer, early in the morning and late in the evening,
he may expect the best sport.

I would advise the angler, when he goes to
the water, to observe the colour of the natural
flies which frequent the banks, and prepare his
casting-line accordingly ; he should make it a
point, if possible, to fish on that bank of the stream
from which the wind blows, throwing his flies to
the opposite side, and drawing them gently across
the stream, allowing them to fall gradually down-

wards, until they come close to the bank on
which he stands ; then the angler, with a smart
spring of his rod, should pitch the flies, at full
length, behind him — to prevent his fly from
whipping off* — and with a sudden jerk of the
wrist, cast his flies high over the stream, keep-
ing his rod well up at the top ; his flies will thus
light on the water, without the least ripple or
disturbance of the surface. To keep out of sight
is of the first importance. By this method, in one
day's fishing, the angler may become skilful in
casting his fly. When a fish rises at the fly,
let the angler be careful not to strike imme-
diately, but give him time to turn and go down,
as he has the fly then in his mouth, and in this
manner hooks himself; whereas, if you strike
suddenly on his appearance, you are apt to whip
the fly out of his mouth, or, if you chance to
hook him, frequently break your rod or tackle.

THE FEATHERS REQUISITE FOR FLY MAKING,
AND WHERE FOUND.

The mallard feathers, found on the back and
underneath the wings. Teal feathers, under-
neath the wings. Turkey tails of all kinds, par-
ticularly black and white, spotted and brown.

Peacock wings and tail feathers. Golden phea-
sant feathers, and all other foreign feathers which
the angler can procure. Blue kingfishers.
Guinea-hen feathers, rump and back. Starling
wings. Bunting wings. Woodcock wings. Hen
pheasant, wings and tail. Partridge tail, rump,
and neck. Grouse feathers off the neck. Wren
tails. Tomtit tails. Landrails wings. Starling
wings. Blue dun cock hackles off the neck,
close to the head, for midge flies.

Dun crow back feather, for making the gil-
leruigh fly. Thus — Body, yellow silk, silver
tinsel from the tail up. Legs, black hackle,
and dun crow at the shoulder, (A particular
favourite).

Cock-of-the-north tail and rump feathers.
Game or dunghill cock hackles, off the head
and neck, and the saddle feathers or hackles
each side the tail, of every colour.

The white hackles for dyeing.

Now, to enable my brothers of the angle
to judge of the success attendant upon this
mode of fly-making and dyeing the colours, I
confidently affirm, that with only three of the
flies I have described in the foregoing pages,
I have killed thirty dozen of trout in one day,

upon the Ochrem Water, which meets the Ovoca,
in the vale of that name, County Wicklow, Ire-
land, where there is a capital inn, at the wooden
bridge, near Arklow, about four hours' ride by
coach from Dublin. The three flies I allude to,
are, the wren-tail, hare's-ear and yellow, and the
little soldier-fly.

REMARKS UPON SALMON FLIES (GOOD KILLERS),
FISHED WITH BY THE AUTHOR,

Recommended to those who fish on the rivers in Ireland
and Scotland.

There are few better fishing rivers in Ireland
thann the Ban, at Bevannachar, near Kill-
reagh, which divides the counties Antrim and
Derry, and runs northward to the Salmon-Leap
of Colraine. When the wind blows up the
stream you are sure of success, as under these
circumstances, in this river, the fish take the
fly more freely. There are three Olive Flies not
mentioned in the catalogue, good killers on the
Ban (for trout), the green Olive, the golden
Olive, and dark Olive, very small flies — fe. hook.
These are made of mohair, no hackles, starling
and woodcock wings.

l5^ Salmon Fly, Yellow- tail golden pheasant
crest. Body, claret pig-hair and gold tinsel.

Legs, claret hackle. Wings, mallard, turkey
light brown, and golden pheasant neck, feathers
mixed : black head. — Hook 9.

2nd Fly. Body, half orange, half claret, gold
tinsel. Legs, claret hackle, and jay. Wings
and tail as above.

2rd Fly, Body, orange pig-hair, gold twist.
Legs, orange hackle. Tail, golden pheasant top-
ping and black ostrich tag. Wings, golden phea-
sant neck, tail, and crest. Black head. Whiskers
of blue and yellow macaw each side the wing.

Ath Fly. Body, gold coloured pig-hair, and
wine purple three parts up to the head, (darken
your flies always towards the shoulder, this 4th
fly exjcepted, which must have gold colour pig-
hair at the head). Legs, wine purple hackle.
Wings and tail as above. Gold and silver twist.
Hook 9. Large size.

5th Fly. Body, olive pig-hair. Legs, olive
hackle. Tail, topping. Wings, mallard and
topping. Black head.— Hook 9.

THE RIVER BUSH, BUSHMILLS,

A small river near the Giant's Causeway, north
of the Ban, swarming with salmon in the spring
and summer.

1st Fly. Body, orange and gold twist. Tail,
topping small. Legs, claret or blood-red hackle.
Wings, brown mallard. Black head.-Hook CC.

2nd Fly. Body, orange and gold twist. Legs,
orange hackle. Tail and head as above. Wings,
gaudy feathers. — Hook C.

3rd Fly. Body, amber mohair and gold
twist. Legs, amber hackle, from the tail up.
Wings, brown mallard. — Hook CC.

4th Fly, Body, tipped with yellow mohair,
dark brown up to the shoulder. Legs, black
hackle. Wings, brown turkey or mallard.

5th Fly. Body, copper- coloured peacock
harl and gold tinsel, from the tail up. Legs,
black hackle, close at the head. Wings, sword
feather of the peacock's tail. Head, black os-
trich and topping for tail.

Have different jointed bodies of pig-hair and dyed
hackle, red, purple, orange, wine purple, blue,
claret, browns, black, and dark-green, succes-
sively ; wings, very large, and as gaudy as pos-
sible, with gold pheasant topping, neck, tail,
and back feathers, macaw yellow and blue. Red
ditto. Cock-of-the-Rock feathers. Blue kings-

fisher. Jay ditto. Amazon parrot, tail feathers.
Bustard, toucan, and trogon feathers. Brown
mallard, turkey, teal, guinea-hen, peacock tail
and wings. Gold twist, and flat silver, put on
together. The colours above-mentioned have
been recently discovered to kill on the rivers
Tweed, Ness, Spey, and also in the islands of
Islay and Jura, in Scotland. The two last-
mentioned places require very small gaudy fliesw

HOOKS.

Phillips's hooks being alphabetically numbered
up to BB, I will explain the sizes, commencing
with the smallest, that my pupils may not be
misled. 1st. Midge size, fe, f, fF, fff, trout
hooks. C, lake, CC, size larger, salmon hooks.
B, small salmon, BB, a size larger. Nos. 9. 8.
7. 6. 5. 4. are large salmon hooks, the last fi-
gure being the largest hook. — {Phillips , Maker j
Dublin).

RECEIPTS FOR DYEING,

Provide a small crucible, or pot, with a handle, to
contain one quart of water. Before you dye your
pighair or mohair, you must scour it in urine and
water of equal parts, allowing half an hour to boil off.
Have a small piece of clean wood to stir each of your
dyes. Before entering into the particulars of dyeing
your stuff or hackles, it is necessary to give an idea of
the primary or principal colours, which are five in
number, viz. blue, red, yellow, brown, and black,
each of these can furnish a great number of shades,
from the lightest to the darkest ; and from the combi-
nation of two or more of these different shades, arise
all the colours in nature.

FOR BLUE.

Fill your crucible three parts full of soft river water,
put it on a slow fire, at the same time, put in a tea-
spoon full of paste blue, to be had at the dry-salters.
Stir it well ; when it is more than lukewarm, take a
table spoonful of cold water, drop into it twelve drops
of oil of vitriol, put this in your blue dye, and then put
in a quarter of an ounce of pighair, hackles, or mo-
hair, (previously scoured) remarking, at the same
time, to wet your stuff in hot water, and wring it be-
fore putting it into the dye. Boil it slowly fifteen or
twenty minutes, take it out with your piece of wood,
and immediately immerge it in a pan of cold water,
(as oil of vitriol will not stand the air). Dry your
stuff, and your colour will be fine.

FOR RED.

Put into your crucible, water, as above, boil in it
two handfuls of Brazil wood with your stuff, (a quarter
of an ounce of pig-hair or mohair) half an hour, then
take it out and cool your dye with a little cold water,
before you put in the oil of vitriol, (quantity as above,
or a little more if required,) then put in your stuff;
let it simmer slowly one hour on a slow fire ; take it
out, immerge it immediately as above ; wring or dry
it; your red will be lasting. If you would have a
beautiful claret, add first to the red wood, or Brazil
wood, half the quantity of logwood ; and, in the second
boiling, put in the size of a pea of copperas, dissolved
in a little of the liquor, with a bit of pearl-ash the size
of a nut — boil it one hour as above. Be careful to
cool your liquor before you put in the oil of vitriol in
all cases.

Oil of vitriol is so useful a thing in dyeing, that, by
the help of its acid, you may produce any lasting
colour.

FOR YELLOW.

Water, as above; put in one handful of bruised
Persian Berries, and boil them one hour, then add two
table spoonfuls of turmeric. Put in your acid, and
then your quarter of an ounce of mohair, hackles, &c.,
let it boil half an hour — immerge it in cold water —
your yellow will be brilliant. By adding one table
spoonful of Brazil wood, you have a beautiful orange.

FOR BROWN.

Water as before; boil a good handful of walnut
rind, and a very small quantity of red wood, and the

4t>

size of a wallnut of logwood, half an hour, put in your
mohair, a quarter of an ounce (cooling your liquor
before the acid is put in), boil it half an hour longer,
and your colour will be lasting. If you would have a
cinnamon or yellow, fiery, brown, &c. first dye your
pighair, mohair, or hackles yellow. Add to the ingre-
dients according to the quantity of your stuff.

FOR BLACK.

Water as before; boil two handfuls of logwood, one
hour ; add a little shumac and elder bark. Boil these
ingredients together half an hour, when your hair
may be entered and boiled half-an-hour. Take out
your hair ; cool your liquor ; dissolve a bit of coppe-
ras the size of a Spanish nut, put it into your liquor,
adding a little argil and soda. Boil it half-an-hour ;
take out your mohair occasionally, as the air contri-
butes to its colour, and your black will be the colour
of a raven's feather.

The mixture of Blue and Red produces a Purple —
boiled together, adding oil of vitriol as before.

The mixture of Blue and Claret produces Wine
Purple.

The mixture of Blue and Yellow, produces Greens
of all shades.

The mixture of Blue, Red, and Yellow, Bright
Olives, darkened with Logwood— apply Oil of Vitriol,
as above.

You may produce any shade you require by the
different mixtures.

FOR FLAME-COLOURED SCARLET.

Water as above; bruise one table-spoonful of
cochineal to a powder ; add a tea-spoonful of crys-
tal of tartar to the water before your cochineal goes
in ; boil your mohair also in the tartar and water,
then take out your mohair or pig-hair, put in your
cochineal, with a tea-spoonful of the composition
liquid ;* boil the stuff half an hour, and your scar-
let will be beautiful. (The oil of vitriol must be
kept from this dye.)

* Composition for Scarlet. — Take half a pint of
spirits of nitre, add to it an equal quantity of clear river
water ; dissolve in it, little by little, a quarter of an ounce
of white salt ammoniac (because spirits of nitre alone will
not dissolve block tin) ; add one drachm of saltpetre ;
dissolve half an ounce of block tin, made small, by casting
it into cold water — these small grains of tin are put into
the dissolvent, one by one, letting the first dissolve before
putting in others — this keeps in the red vapours, necessary
for the gold colour of your liquor. (This mixture is to be
had at the dry-salters, under the name of grain spirits.
Common aquafortis dropped into a little cold water will
answer the same purpose.) — Ent. Sia. Mall,

FOR STAINING GUT,

Boil a tea-spoonful of alum in a pint of water ;
add a piece of logwood the size of a large nut, and
of copperas the size of a pea ; dip in one hundred
of gut three minutes, and you will have the desired
colour.

Wash your feathers in spirits of turpentine to
keep them from the moth — camphor also preserves
them from that devouring insect.

Boil a piece of pitch the size of an egg, with a
little rosin, and a small quantity of tallow grease,
half an hour, in a pot ; then take a piece of pointed
wood, dip in the end, and allow the boiling pitch to
remain on it till cold, lay your finger on it and bend
it downwards — if it chips off it is not sufficiently
boiled — if it bends you may take it off the fire, cool
it in lumps, and put it in a small basin of cold
water until you require to use it.

Boil three or four handfuls of fustic in two
quarts of soft water until it becomes one, drain it
off the wood into a clean vessel (have another ves-
sel for the hackles or feathers) ; put into it a table-
spoonful of alum and half the quantity of tartar,
pour on these a pint of boiling water, let them

remain in a quarter of an hour, take them out and
put them in the fustic liquor ; place it again on
the fire, and let them simmer for two hours, take
them out of the dye, and wash them in cold water,
and your yellow will be choice. (If you boil the
alum and tartar together with the fustic, your
colour will turn out a sullied lemon shade.)

A TABLE

OF ALL THE PROCESS TAUGHT IN THE FOLLOWING
CATECHISM OF FLY-MAKING.

1. — The hook is tied on the gut

2. — The wings are tied on at the end of the shank,
the reverse way.

3. — The hackle is tied on at the point, with the
tinsel to rib the body.

4. — The tail and body is formed.

5. — The tinsel is rolled up, and then the hackle,
in like manner.

6. — The wings are turned in their proper place,
the head formed, and secured with the tying silk.

(See the Trout-flies to suit the rivers Ribhle and
Hodder, Lancashire, page 68. — Angling stations on
both : the former at Milton, Lancashire, the latter
at White well, Yorkshire ^ route, from Manchester.)

W. BLACKER S

CATECHISM OF FLY-MAKING.

Question, — What do you mean by fly-making ?

Answer, — I mean the artificial assimilation of
those beautiful insects that appear on brooks and
rivers during the summer season.

Q, — What are these artificial flies used for in
general ?

A. — They are principally used to afford gentle-
men rural amusement and recreation, by their
taking both Trout and Salmon with the rod, line,
and fly.

Q, — Name the different materials requisite for
making the artificial fly ?

A, — The necessary materials for making the fly
are as follow : various kinds of feathers, furs, mo-
hair, pig hair (dyed), silks, tinsel, &c.— (See pages
4 and 38.)

Q. — When the student has all the materials
prepared, and seated at the table, how does he
commence to make the fly?

A, — First, the hook is firmly tied on the gut.

and one-eighth of an inch of the end of the shank
left bare to receive the wings.

Q, — How are the wings tied on ?

A. — They may be tied on the reverse way first,
at the extreme point of the shank ; afterwards, the
tail, body, and hackle is secured ; then turn them up
and form the head. — ( See plate 1.)

Q. — Is there any other way of placing on the
wings of a Trout-fly ?

A, — Yes ; by forming the tail, body, and hackle
first, and then tie on the wings. — f See plate 4 on
Salmon-hooks.)

Q, — Having tied on the wings the reverse way,
to appear the exact length of the hook when turned,
what is the next part to be performed ?

A. — Next, I take hold of the shank opposite the
barb in my left, and here tie on a short piece of
tinsel for the tip, roll it over two or three times,
and secure it with a running knot; immediately
above this tie on the tail.*

* If it is a Salmon fly you are making, the additional
materials to be placed on above the tip and tail are, a tag
of floss silk, then a roll or two of black ostrich harl — these
may be omitted in Scotch Salmon-flies — (See the Insh and
Scotch fly, plates 8 and 9.^ You may also joint a Salmon-
fly with several coloured hackles. The process of making
the Trout and Salmon flies is equally the same. — C*^^^
the Salmon-fly wing in the plate of feathers,)

A 2 *

Q. — When the wings are tied on reversed, the
tip and tail secured, how do you form the body ?

A. — I take hold of the hook in my left by the
shank close to the tail, as before, and with my
right draw out a small quantity of mohair, twist it
tightly round the tying silk close to the hook, draw
it gradually up full towards my hand (that when
tied on the fly may appear taper in the body), I
then roll it closely over the shank towards my left,
and as I bring it up, shift my hand out of the way
to the root of the wings, and fasten it. (Leave a
vacancy to receive the hackle if tied on at the
shoulder.)

Q. — If there is not sufficient mohair twisted on
the silk to form the whole body, what must be
done?

A, — When the mohair on the silk becomes
short, I tie it down on the centre of the shank (the
hackle's point may be tied on here, at the tail, or
round the shoulder, according to the appearance of
the natural fly, or the description), then apply a
little more stuff to finish the remainder of the body.
— f See plate 2»)

Note, — Be careful to leave a sufficient portion
of the end of the shank to receive the wings ; or.

if they are tied on Jirst, leave a little of the end in
like manner, that when they are turned you may
secure the head, guard the gut, and make a neat
finish.

Q. — Having tied the hackle's point on the cen-
tre of the body, how do you strike it in its proper
place ?

A. — Holding the hook by the bend in my left,
with the right I take hold of the root of the hackle,
roll it slantingly over the body, in close contact
with the tinsel to the shoulder, and fasten with a
running knot.* — (See plate 1 .)

Q, — The hackle, body, tail, and tip of tinsel
now neatly tied ; how are the wings turned and
secured in their proper place ?

A* — I now hold the fly in my left by the body ;
draw the fibres underneath my finger and thumb
out of the way, and with the picker divide the
wings (see plate 7 ) ; turn up the off wing first,

* The tinsel rolled all the way up may be omitted, ex-
cept in lake or salmon -flies j and when you are rolling the
hackle on, keep the middle finger you hold the hook with
tight against it, to keep it from turning off, and reserve the
black root for the shoulder ; take two or three extra turns
here, to give the fly a full appearance.

lay it under my left finger, and give a turn of the
silk over the root ; then the near wing in like
manner ; lay it under my thumb, let the hackle
spring up between them ; take two turns of the
silk over both, and fasten on the small bit of shank
end.

Note. — You may guard the gut at the extreme
end of the shank : after turning the wings, bring
the silk back to the head, and give two running
knots on the hook ; cut ofi* the silk, and lay on a
little varnish.

To adjust — Take the fly in your left by the
gut, and with the right middle finger, shot from
under the thumb, strike the bend of the hook
scientifically, and the fibres of your fly will
project systematically. — ( See plate 4.J

The foregoing method of fly -making being rather
difficult for a young beginner, I have given my
pupils a much easier way in the following chapter ;
although I particularly recommend the first, in
consequence of the fly turning out, when finished,
more like nature ; and it is a plan I am partial to,
as the head and wings appear so pretty when turned,
and the fulness of the shoulder occasions them to
stand perpendicular.

A SECOND METHOD OF MAKING THE
TROUT-FLY.

Question. — How do you commence to make the
fly in this way ?

Answer, — I tie on the wings first, as in the fore-
going method, turn them up immediately and form
the head, begin the body and legs here, and finish
the fly at the tail.

Q, — When the wings are tied on first, and
turned, before you commence the body and legs,
how do you proceed ?

A, — I take a small hackle to suit the size of the
hook, strip ofi* the flue, and tie it on by the root at
the head. (You may tie on a piece of tinsel here.)

Q. — Having tied on the hackle thus, what is
the next thing to be done ?

A, — I draw out a little mohair, twist it tightly
round the tying silk, roll it closely over the shank
until opposite the barb, give a running knot, and
then roll on the tinsel.

Q. — The body and tinsel being now neatly
formed, how is the hackle struok on ?

A. — I take hold of the extreme point of the
hackle, that projects at the head, in my small

pliers,* place my right forefinger in the hook, and
roll it over the body towards the tail, in close con-
tact with the tinsel ; give two running knots, and
cut off both silk and hackle point.

Note. — You may tie on either floss silk, peacock
harl, or mohair for the body, commencing at the
shoulder, and finishing at the tail ; twist the harl
round the tying silk to prevent its coming off, from
the friction of the fishes' teeth. The weight of
the pliers keeps the hackle in its proper place at
the tail, when securing it with the silk.

THE PALMER MADE EASY.

Wishing to give my pupils every opportunity in
my power of becoming proficients in this delicate
and gentlemanly art, I have given them in the
following instructions a much easier method
of making the palmer, or hairy worm, than that
taught in page 7. And having hitherto omitted
every thing in the way of trolling tackle, in conse-

* Hold the hook always by the bend, in the left. In this
mode of fly-making, tie on the hackle by the roots at the
end of the shank, and roll it either through the wings or
take two turns of it underneath them, and then down to
the tail ; or you may roll it round the shoulder only,
and then form the body, tinsel and tail.

quence of its being so ably described in Salter's
clever little work on the subject ; and to insinuate
another preventive from so doing, was, my dislike
to this sort of angling ; nevertheless, I will not
permit the Pike-fly to escape me, it being by far
the most gentlemanly way of fishing for Jack — it
is a method I have usually adopted with great suc-
cess, using for the purpose a salmon rod with a
stiff top ; and instead of casting the fly over my
head, as the Salmon-fly is generally thrown, pitch
it into the water sideways, to prevent a sudden
ripple or merge, as this scares the fish ; walking
either up or down the river, lake, &c. ; and when
fishing, play it upon the surface, as I would the Sal-
mon-fly.—(aS'^^ the spinning tackle described and
taught in the sequel, J

TO MAKE THE PALMER OR HACKLE-FLY.

Question, — Is there an easier method of making
the palmer than that taught in page 7 ?

Answer, — Yes, much easier, yet not so neat or
perfect.

Q, — How is the palmer commenced in this way ?

A, — Having previously tied on the hook and
gut, I take two hackles of equal size, strip ofi* the

flue, tie them on by the roots at the point of the
shank, back to face, and then the tinsel.

Q, — How do you form the body and tinsel after
tying on the hackles by the roots ?

A. — I twist some mohair round the tying silk,
roll it down the shank to the tail, and fasten it
with a running knot, over this the tinsel.

Q. — How are the hackles struck ?

A* — I take hold of the hackles with my pliers
at the extreme points ; roll them twice round the
shoulder closely, and then down to the tail, (the
weight of the pliers keeps the hackles in their place,
until you give two knots over them, cut off both
silk and points, and lay on a little varnish to secure
the rope,) press your fly between your fingers to
slant the hackles.

In making the palmer thus, you may either roll
the hackles round the trottle, and then form the
body ; or roll them from the shoulder to the tail,
over the mohair, floss silk, or peacock's harl ;
when you are rolling on two, keep them close to-
gether on their edge, and let the hoop of the
pliers turn round your finger in their progress to
the tail. — fSee the two hackles tied together for
the 'palmer fly in the plate of feathers *)

TO MAKE THE PIKE-FLY.

Question.— The Pike or Jack-fly being consider-
ably larger than the Trout or Salmon ; how do you
undertake to make it ?

Ansiv€y\— In the first place, I take two Limerick
hooks. No. 7, large size, and tie them firmly to-
gether with strong waxed silk, in the form of a
grappling iron, to these I attach sixteen inches of
strong gymp and loop it at the other end, (you may
guess what this loop is for.) — ( See plate \.)

Q. — The hooks and gymp now secured, what is
the next process ? (Do not forget the varnish.)

A. — Holding the hooks in my left by the shanks,
opposite the barb, I roll on a piece of broad tinsel
to tip the fly first, and then four or five different
coloured hackles for tail, (tie on toppings if you
please).

Q. — How do you commence to build or form
the body of this large size fly ?

A* — Having previously provided myself with six
or eight pieces of well-dyed pig hair to joint the
body, I still hold the hooks by the shanks in my
left, and above the tail I tie on a large size tag

of floss ; I here also tie on a long piece of tinsel
to rib the fly, and then the two large size cock
hackles. — (See plate 2,) I then twist a piece of
yellow mohair on the silk, roll it up one-eighth of
an inch, and fasten with a running knot. — (See
the hackles prepared at the points in the plate of
feathers.)

Q. — The body being so far formed, how do you
proceed with the remainder ?

A. — Still holding the hooks in my left, I draw
out a piece of blue or orange pig hair, and twist it
on the silk in like manner ; roll it up one-eighth
of an inch, and so on to the shoulder, with red,
purple, claret, green, &c. — (See the body of plate
the second,)

Q, — This done, how are the two large saddle -
cock hackles struck on ?

A, — I now turn the hooks and hold them by
the bend, and with the right take hold of the two
hackles, (previously tied together at the roots of
the stems to keep them even,) roll them up slant-
ingly towards the shoulder in close contact with
the tinsel, leave a vacancy at the end of the shank
to receive two or three different coloured hackles,

and fasten with a knot.* — (See the hackles rolled
on plate 3.^

Q. — The fly being so far completed, how are
the wings tied on ?

A. — I take two peacock moon feathers, strip oiF
the fibres from the stems, and cut them one inch
longer than the fly ; tie them on at the vacancy left
at the end of the shank, keeping the brilliant sides
outwards, (you may tie them on the reverse way,
turn them back as you did the Trout-fly wings, and
tie on golden pheasant feathers in like manner, to
prevent them drawing out.)

Note. — Be careful to use the right thumb nail
when tying on the wings, press them down tightly
every turn of the silk, and lay on a little varnish.
— {See page 13.)

Q, — The two moon feathers being now firmly
tied on, what other feathers are appropriate ?

A. — To complete the wings, I tie on two or three

* When you are rolling on two large hackles over a very
long body, shift your left the hook is held in, after you
have half the feather tied on, higher up the shank, and
do not forget to keep the same hand middle finger tight
against them in their progress to the shoulder, and here
roll on two or three extra hackles of various colours.

golden pheasant neck feathers, each side the pea-
cock moons, and outside of these a blue jay ; (you
may tie on any gaudy feathers you please for the
wings of the Pike-fly. — (^See the Irnsh Salmon-Jiy
wing prepared in the plate of feathers.)

Q. — The wings now secured, how do you form
the head, and place on the eyes ?

A. — I take a blue glass bead and string it on
the tying silk, bring it to the off side first, then
the near side bead in like manner, drawing the
silk two or three times through each, and secure
them with two running knots close to the roots of
the wings. — ( Observe the instructions in page 13.)

Q, — How do you cover the lump occasioned by
the quantity of tying silk at the head ?

A, — I draw out a small quantity of pig hair,
twist it on the tying silk, and roll it over, in and
out between the beads, then behind them close to
the roots of the wings ; give three running knots,
lay on a little varnish, cut off the cable, and the fly
is complete. — (See the Irish Salmon fly jointed^
jjlate 8.y>

The Pike is generally considered the Shark of
our fresh water lakes and rivers, so also may he be
justly termed the wolf of the tide, in consequence

of his ferociousness ; the angler is obliged to make
use of the stronoj-est tackle imaofinable to secure
him, and when he is hooked on the minnow or fly,
he is more like a bull dog than a fish at the end of
the line. He takes full possession of the waters
he haunts, and destroys more Trout and Salmon-
fry, in the course of the season, than all the anglers
put together; frogs, mice, rats, birds, or any other
substance he sees moving in his native element,
will be acceptable to his gluttonous propensities ;
and even his own species, approaching his size, he
will rush at, open mouthed, and devour, if possible.
I have known him to snap oflP a Salmon-fly, tied on
a treble gut, as easily as you would break a bulrush
between the hands.

When the angler hooks a Jack, he should be
vigilant and bring him to land as soon as possible,
if he is of small dimensions, or else keep him as
tightly on the rod and line as their strength will
allow, when large, and lead him into deep water,
free from sedge or weeds ; give him the but, or he
will most undoubtedly extricate himself. You must
provide yourself with the strongest gymp, and be-
fore you attach it to the large hooks, take every
precaution to secure them with strong waxed silk,

and by no means neglect the varnish; when you
are tying on the gymp, let it come down the shank
in close contact with the tip or barbs, to give it a
good hold ; double up the silk that is in the interior
of the wire, and wrap it down tightly, as this makes
it permanent. The beautiful plumage of the pea-
cock furnishes the angler with most essential
materials for making this kind of fly : the moon
and sword feathers of the tail, are excellent for
wings and hackles, the former for winging, the
latter to roll round the trottle ; the blue feathers of
the neck, and the bronze color of the body, are also
appropriate for thatching (with golden pheasant
neck feathers) the bodies of Pike-flies — these large
sized flies must be, as it were, built with a quantity
of various sorts of feathers, to sail the large hooks
on the surface. The beginning of autumn, and
onwards, is the best season for Jack fishing.

In addition to the catalogue of flies, page 18,
I have given my pupils a few more gems to enrich
their fly case, (standard, or genuine killers,) for
Trout fishing.

Hook f. 1 . THE FIRE FLY. Juhj ^ Aug.

No. 9 or 10. Body — copper coloured peacock

harl, gold tip, yellow tag short. Legs — a small red
hackle rolled round the trottle. Wings — partridge,
the grey and red feathers mixed, (varied with gold
twist up the body) and black red hackle ; some use
a black hackle. One of each will be found useful.
The following fly is another imitation of the
green drake, (see the green drake, P^g^ 27, y/
made with India-rubber for body ; the grouse and
the golden plover hackles may also be made in a
similar manner, to suit these months, in the evening.
Body — gold tinsel, rolled closely over the tying
silk, (you may roll on gold colour silk, under the
India-rubber instead, from the tail to the head),
then wrap the thin cut India-rubber over this, in
like manner ; the gold shews transparent through
this substance. Tail — three hairs of a black horse
mane. Legs — partridge, grouse, or dyed yellow
hackle, rolled on at the trottle, (lay on a Httle
yellow-green mohair here) Wings — dyed mal-
lard, full, black head. Hook, c. or f f f. No. 7.

TO MAKE THE INDIA-RUBBER FLT^.

The gut is tied on the top of the hook, and to
extend two-eighths of an inch beyond the bend ;
then take the three horse hairs, tie them on the end

of the gut, for tail ; then tie on the end of a piece
of gold tinsel, at the extreme point of the tail, and
roll it closely all the way up to the shoulder ; then
take the piece of thin cut India-rubber, and tie the
smallest end on the point of the gut tail, then draw
it out to its full length, and roll it over the end of
gut, the body, to the shoulder, closely ; keep the
middle finger against it to prevent it turning off,
and when you are rolling it over the projecting
piece of gut, hold it tightly between the nails of
the left, move them out of the way, as you gradually
bring the India-rubber to the shoulder, with the
right, give two or three turns, and a running knot,
here, to secure it. When you bring the India-
rubber up to the head, catch it under the nail of
the left thumb, and then the knot. My pupils
may guess, by this method of tying, how essential
it is to hold the hook by the shank in the left, when
forming the body, and by the bend, when rolling
on the hackle and tinsel. You may vary the size
of the hooks, from f f f. to midge, when you wish
to make small flies in this way, (observe to wing
ihem last, see plate 5, and the instructions in pages
6 and 7 ).

An excellent killing fly, recommended for the

spring and autumn. Body — hare's ear (the dark)
mixed with water rat's fur and yellow mohair, of
equal parts, (pick it out at the shoulder to imitate
legs). Wings — snipe wing. Hook, f e., f f , or No.
9 to 12 : fished with in low water. Varied thus —
the light part of the hare's ear mixed with rat's
fur and yellow mohair. Legs — partridge hackle
(off the neck), rolled on at the trottle, (if too long,
cut it). Wings — partridge wing ; on some flies
use the tail. Tail — two fibres of mallard, hen
pheasant tail, or partridge grey. This last imitation
resembles Bowlker's well-known March brown.
{See the red spinner alsoy hy the same author ^
for these months).

The following five beautiful flies in miniature,
are excellent killing specimens, to suit the river
Axe, Devonshire ; they are strongly recommended
by a celebrated angler, a gentleman and true
sportsman, author of " The Sportsman in France"
and ^' The Sportsman in Canada." He positively
declares, although you had gold flies, or all the
tints of the rainbow, to entice the Trout to rise,
yet none but the following will insure success in
this lovely stream. (They are inserted by his per-
mission, as I received them ; he tells me, they are

from the pen of a reverend gentleman, an excellent
hand at the fly.)

1. WREN TAIL.

Hook very small (midge). Body — yellow silk, and
in some specimens a little gold twist ; hackle,
either the wren's tail feather, (see the wren tail
feather prepared below, plate 7,) or the small red
feather on the cock grouse head.

2. IRON BLUE.

Hook much smaller than the pattern fly (pattern
hook, ff, or No. 10; proper size, f, or No. 12).
Body — very thin, fur as sent (light dun), warped
up with pale yellow silk ; hackle and whisks, color
of the enclosed; (a brown red cock hackle).
Wings — skittig, or water rail.

3.— YELLOW DUN, OR UPRIGHT.

Hook much smaller than the patteni fly, but not
so small as the Iron blue, (hook, fe., No. 12 or
13). Body — pale yellow silk, a little waxed ;
hackle and whisks, color sent (a yellow grizzle
hackle). Wings — thrush, or land rail.

N.B. — The thrush is of a yellowish, and the
land rail a reddish hue.

4 THE ALLER OR ALDER FLY,

Hook same size as the yellow dun. Body — silk,
the color of a copper tea kettle stained with smoke,
(that is to say, chesnut) ; blue black hackle.*
Wings — redstart's tail feather, or partridge red.

5. — PARTRIDGE OR GROUSE HACKLE.

Hook size of yellow dun. Body — ^brown fur,
wrapped up with fine silver twist ; and either a
brown partridge or grouse hackle. (A fly of each
will be found serviceable).

The foregoing specimens will be found most
essential for Trout fishing in mountain streams,
in Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and England, with
the following imitations, found in the large cap of
a professor of the craft. 1. Body — hare's ear fur
(the dark) mixed with brown mohair (taper), picked
out at the trottle to imitate legs. Wings — brown
mallard drawn very short. 2. Body — hare's ear
fur, mixed with olive mohair; it may be varied
thus : — golden olive, sooty and green, mixed with
the hare's ear fur. Wings — starling wing (picked
out at the head). 3. Hare's ear fur only,

* Hackle from the ear of a raven or crow — the pattern
sent is a shop fly, and by no means a correct specimen.

mallard, or woodcock's wing. 4. Hare's fur,
mixed with orange mohair and starling's wing;
these flies may be tied on midge, fe, f, ff ; or Nos.
13, 12, 10, or 9. 5. Body — peacock harl, gold
tip, and tag of yellow silk. Legs — two black
hackles, rolled from the tail up or at the shoulder,
(varied with black, red hackles, and winged with
grey partridge feather). 6. Cinnamon brown body,
gold tip. Tail — two fibres of mallard, and small
brown red hackle at the trottle ; starling or w^ood-
cock wings ; they may be also varied thus : — black
hackle over the brown body, and a cinnamon hackle
over a yellow body ; or this body, with black hackle
and teal wings, (the teal feathers are found under
the wings of that wild fowl.)

Three flies for the rivers Doon and Stincher, at
the town of Ayr, Scotland. 1. Red hackle, and
starling wing; body made of the yellow waxed
silk the fly is tied with. 2. Black hackle instead
of red, same wings. 3. Hare's ear fur, dark ;
starling, bunting, or stormy petrel wings. The
best coloured silks for working are yellows, for
tying hare's ear, and yellow, or dun flies ; orange
and red, for brown and red bodies ; and blue silk,
for black, blue, claret^ &c.

THE GOLDEN PLOVER HACKLE,

For Evening, in August and the Autumn,

Hook ff. No. 8. Body — gold tinsel, rolled
closely over the waxed silk, wrapped over with
thin cut India-rubber. Legs — golden plover back
feather (the large feathers suit Salmon-flies) rolled
round the trottle. The light brown grouse hackle
may be made in this way, they are both exquisite
flies. {See the grouse hackle, prepared in the
plate of feathers). Gold coloured silk is also
very good under the India-rubber.

THE NEEDLE FLY, OR HARRY LONG LEGS.

Hook fff or Nos. 6 & 7. Body — light dun,
mixed with hare's ear fur (the dark), and a few
hairs of yellow mohair, made taper, long, and thin.
Legs — a large brown red cock hackle, (off the
saddle) rolled on at the trottle. Wings — hen phea-
sant tail, mixed with brown mallard. This is an
excellent killer, ribbed with gold, for the evening.
(See the annotation on Trout fishing, page 37.)

PARTRIDGE HACKLE.

Hook ff No. 8. Body — hare*s ear fur, mixed
with yellow mohair, and partridge back feather

round the trottle, (it may be ribbed with yellow
silk).

THREE DUN PALMERS.

Hookf. No. 10. 1. Body — light hare's ear,
mixed with a little yellow mohair, ribbed with
yellow silk ; light dun hackle rolled at the trottle.

Hook fe. No. 12. 2. Body — yellow dun,
ribbed with light green silk. Legs — yellow dun
hackle at the shoulder.

HooJcfe, No. 12. 3. Body — dun mohair (water
rat) ribbed with yellow silk. Legs — dark dun, or
grizzle hackle, round the trottle. Varied thus : —
Body — silver tinsel, rolled closely over the bare
waxed silk, with a dun hackle at the shoulder, (use
large size hooks for night fishing, ^^J^/! or Nos. 3,
6, 7). Mouse and genet fur is very useful, when
the water rat cannot be procured.

FOUR CELEBRATED EVENING FLIES FOR THE
THAMES AT WEYBRIDGE, SURREY.

1. Body— fiery brown mohair ribbed with gold
tinsel. Tail — yellow tuft of mohair or topping.
Wings — hen pheasant's tail. (You may use a
little yellow under the hackle at the head; it should
be struck from the tail up.) Legs — a brown red
hackle.

2. Body — brown and yellow mohair, mixed ;
hackle and tinsel, as above. Wings — brown
mallard. — Hook h or c. No. 5 or 6.

3. Body — copper coloured peacock harl, made
full, and ribbed with flat gold ; hackle as above.
Wings same as the first fly.

4. Body— very gaudy, of bright yellow-green
silk or mohair, ribbed with gold twist, and flat sil-
ver tinsel. Tail — golden pheasant topping, long.
Legs — a bright yellow-green dyed hackle, from
the tail up (jay feather at the shoulder). Wings
— two toppings and tw) neck feathers of the
golden pheasant, sprigged each side with the tail
feather of the same bird, yellow-green parrot,
sword feather of the peacock, yellow and blue ma-
caw feelers, argus pheasant, peacock's wing, silver
pheasant and bustard's feathers, two fibres of each
(let the two toppings extend two -eighths of an inch
longer than the other sprigging, except the two
fibres of blue and yellow macaw tail feather). It
may be made with the golden plover back feather for

hackle, and is a good killer on the Tweed Hook

No. 9.

TWO CHUB FLIES.

Hook c. No. 5 and 6. Body — yellow tag at

the tail, then orange, then red, then black (or it
may be made with orange or yellow at the tail, and
black the remainder), very full. Legs — a brown-
red cock saddle hackle, rolled on at the shoulder.
Wings — water rail, black cock's tail, or the bronze
feather of the dark brown turkey wing or tail ;
(the feather is cut and tied on last — see the trout
jiy wing in the plate of feathers^ It may be varied
thus : red, yellow, or orange body, with the same
hackle and wings ; the dark shiny feather in the
turkey tail, with a white tip, is very useful.

THE GREAT CATERPILLAR OR HAIRY WORM.

Hook c. No. 5 or 6. Body — bright orange,
gold colour silk, or mohair, ribbed with flat gold
tinsel and peacock harl. Legs — two large red
hackles, black at roots, rolled from the tail up full
to the shoulder, varied with peacock harl, scarlet
or yellow bodies ; a large size yellow fly, ribbed
with gold tinsel, is also very good for Chub fishing
in the evening ; the golden olive fly is an excellent
killer at night, made with golden olive hackle, and
body the same colour, gold tinsel, and land rail or
jay wings. — Hook^^^ or No. 7. — (iS^^^ the pal-
merjly^ in its process of makings in the plates of
the catalogue of flies*)

Considering it necessary to give my pupils some
idea of the nature and production of most of these
beautiful flies, that frequent and adorn the streams
and fertile fields of our highly favoured country,
that delights the eye and glads the heart of the si-
lent angler, when ranging the meads in pursuit of
his game, I have been in the habit of examining
those delicate insects in their various tiilts, and not
unacquainted with the cadis -worm from which they
are produced ; diving into these things, like a soli-
tary crow on a mountain (as Paddy says, " boxing
the inside out of a potatoe"), or a heron on the
shores of a lonely lake, have I traversed the streams
from my childhood, preferring this life to all the
amusements this gay and delusive world could afford.
From this, my pupils may form an idea of my
practicability — and I sincerely wish them to give
their strict adherence to the genuine instructions I
have striven to impart. The following lines are
selected from the works of an eminent naturalist,
for the better information of my readers : —

" That there should be a tribe of flies, whose du-
ration extends but to a day, seems at first surpris-
ing ; but the wonder will increase, when we are
told, that some, of this kind seem to be born to die

c 2

in the space of a single hour. The reptile that is
to become a fly, and that is granted so long a time,
when compared to its latter duration, is an inhabi-
tant of the water." (Ephemera) Oliver Goldsmith,
The Cadis-worrriy or Cor-hait, — These worms,
incased like the snail, creep and roll about the bottom
of gravelly streams for a length of time, previous to
their being metamorphosed into a fly. They are
seen in an oblong sheath, curiously wrought, and
incrustated on the outside with small gravel or
shells, or in two semi-cylindrical pieces of hollow
bark cemented together, having an orifice at each
end ; they walk on six legs, some have less, ac-
cording to their kind, with a sort of helmet on their
heads ; these appear when seeking their food — and
are drawn in at will when suddenly surprised.
When I first observed these curious long rough
substances in the gravel at the bottom, I could
scarcely believe they contained a reptile ; but on
a closer examination, breaking the case or sheath,
I beheld, to my astonishment, a living creature,
endowed with instinct (by the Great Author of
nature), to form itself a covering, to secure it from
the inroads of its enemies at the very bottom of
the water, and obtaining its subsistence in the

most obscure solitude. The following passage is
also taken from Goldsmith's Animated Nature : —

" The gnat proceeds from a little worm, which
is usually found at the bottom of rivers. They
make themselves lodgments of cement, which they
fasten to some solid body at the very bottom of
the water ; unless, by accident, they meet with a
piece of chalk, which, being of a soft and pliant
nature, gives them an opportunity of sinking a
retreat for themselves, where nothing but the
claws of a cray-fish can possibly molest them.
The gnat, in her second state, is, properly speaking,
in the form of a nymph, which is an introduction
or entrance into a new life. In the first place, she
divests herself of her second skin ; in the next, she
resigns her eyes, her antennae (horns or feelers),
and her tail ; in short, she actually seems to expire.
However, from the spoils of ^he amphibious animal,
a Httle winged insect cuts the air, whose every part
is active to the last degree, and whose whole struc-
ture is the just object of our admiration/'

The cadis-worm is a most excellent bait, when
placed upon the fly-hook, and thrown gently with
the wind into the rippled stream, or dropped un-
derneath bushes or shrubbery, that grow on the

banks of deep pools, where you cannot possibly

convey the fly; and when the river is clearing

oflP after a fresh, during the summer season.

** Full nature swarms with one wondrous mass

Of animals, or atoms organized,

Waiting the vital breath, when parent heaven

Shall bid his spirit blow. The hoary fen.

In putrid streams, emits the living cloud

Of pestilence. Through subterranean cells,

Where scorching sun-beams scarce can find a way.

Earth animated heaves. The flowery leaf

Wants not its soft inhabitants. Secure

Within its winding citadel, the stone

Holds multitudes. But chief, the forest boughs

That dance unnumbered to the playful breeze,

The downy orchard, and the melting pulp

Of mellow fruit, the nameless nations feed

Of evanescent insects ! where the pool

Stands mantled o'er with green, invisible.

Amid the floating verdure millions stray." — Thomson.

Appropriate Instructions for Twisting Gut,
making Casting Lines, both single and treble,
with necessary recipes for dying ^yellows, browns
Sfc.

Should my pupils run short of gut lines, on
the river side, to avoid this vexatious dilemma, I
thought it prudent to insert a few remarks on the
knotting of these useful articles, as follows : —
First provide yourself with a hundred or two of
gut, sound and round, to suit both Trout and

Salmon fishing ; and a few days before you repair
to the stream, steep it in lukewarm water to make
it pliant. Take nine lengths of nearly equal sub-
stance, and sort them, so as to have the line when
finished taper (I prefer it all the one substance).
To describe one knot, will suffice for all : — take
two lengths and lay them together, so they project,
or I may say extend, three inches past each extreme
point, and with the fingers and thumbs (delicate
long, and white), make a plain double knot over
both, and draw them tightly together, cut off the
refuse ends with your sharp pointed scissors, and
repeat this knot till the line is complete. The
same method may be adopted when making twisted
gut casting lines, except tying down part of the
refuse ends of the knots with wax silk, instead of
cutting them close, (pare them down a little to
make a neat finish, and fasten with two knots of
the silk close behind each knot of the line) ; lay on
a little varnish.

TO TWIST THE GUT.

My pupil having fixed the twisting machine
ready for action, and sorted his gut in three
lengths, equally strong (do not forget to steep it,)
give a single knot at the end of each , to prevent

it from drawing off the hook of the engine, when
tying them on ; then apply a length to each of
the three hooks, with a running knot. The three
lengths now hanging attached to the . hooks, draw
your hand down them to make them even from
top to bottom, and here knot the whole together ;
(forget not to cut off the flat end of the gut, pre-
vious to commencing ;) then attach the hook of the
lead weight; this keeps the gut from snarling;
above this, place in the tap or small piece of wood,
that keeps them divided; hold this in the left
hand, and with the right take hold of the handle
of the machine, twist or turn it towards you
quickly, (this gives the gut the same twist as the
reel line.) When you have given enough twist,
let your left hand move gently up, towards (accord-
ing as you see the gut retaining it beneath) the
engine ; let your weight turn quickly, extricate the
gut from the hooks, and draw the length through
your hands to straighten it. These twisting ma-
chines are to be had at the tackle shops.

RECIPE FOR YELLOW.

Boil two or three handful s of yellow wood one
hour, in a quart of soft water ; wash the light

mallard or hackles in soap and hot water, (see
the bunch of hackles prepared Jb7^ dyeing, in the
plate of feathers); boil these a short time, with a
large spoonful of alum and tartar, in a little pipkin,
with a pint of water, separately ; take them out
of this, and immerse them into the yellow dye ;
let them remain in an hour or two, slowly simmer-
'ing, (the shorter they remain in the paler) ; take
them out, and wash them in hard water, or stale
urine.

When you cannot easily procure thrush's wings,
boil the jay or starling wings in the above dye,
and you will have the desired colour. They must
remain in but a very short time after it begins to
boil.

Ermine fur dyed in the same, will be found veiy
useful.

Red hackles, boiled in the same liquor, is an
excellent colour for brown and amber flies.

When my pupils cannot procure blue paste in
the countrj^, let them steep the indigo in soft water,
for twenty- four hours, and it will be brought to
a working state.

When there is an occasion for dyeing yellow-
greens, either hackles or mohair, if you add a very

small quantity of blue to your yellow liquor, you
may obtain any shade by augmenting or diminish-
ing the blue ingredient.

You may strike three or four shades on one
hackle, by the following method : — roll some thread
tightly round a bunch of white hackles, and leave
two-eighths of an inch vacant at the points (tie the
roots to a piece of clean wood), dip these in yellow
first, take them out, tie the dyed part closely all
over with some more thread, strip off a little more
of the first tying, and dip this in like manner in
red or blue dye, according to taste ; repeat this
throughout the whole, and you will surely succeed.
It is requisite to have three or four pipkins on the
fire, containing different dyes.

ANOTHER RECIPE FOR YELLOW.

Take two or three table spoonfuls of turmeric,
and boil it in three half pints of soft water, five
minutes ; take it off, and let it cool a little ; take
one spoonful of cold water, and drop ten drops of
oil of vitriol into it, put this in your dye and stir it ;
put the pipkin again on the fire, with your feathers
or stuff, well cleansed in soap and water, (or observe
the instructions, page 44), let it simmer slowly for

one hour, or less, according* as you please, then take
them out, and immediately immerse them in cold
water ; if this is not adhered to, your stuff will be
uneven in colour. If you add a little fustic to the
foregoing recipe, boiled together with the tartar
and alum, you may have a decided colour for the
cowdung fly. Boil black hackles in the yellow
liquor, and they will turn out an excellent tawney
colour, particularly essential for salmon flies, fished
with in small streams.

Boil three or four handfuls of logwood in three
pints of water, until it becomes one ; drain this off
into a clean vessel, cast away the wood, and put
the pint of liquor into the crucible with your red
hackles, and simmer them one hour or more ; this
produces a most killing colour for salmon. Red
wood, and also Brazil wood, boiled in the same way,
with a little tartar and alum, is excellent. You
may use the oil of vitriol with the last-mentioned
ingredient, in equal parts of water.

Boil walnut rinds with a little fustic, in the
above, and you will have a beautiful brown, any
shade. (Do not neglect the receipts for dyeing,
page 44.)

There is scarcely any substance on the face of

nature that cannot be converted into something
serviceable for the angler's craft. He may extract
the colour from every flower that grows, from
wood and bark, shrub and leaf, root and sedge,
herbs, &c., and strike it on his light materials by
aid of the never-failing oil of vitriol. The plu-
mage of both foreign and domestic birds — the
production of, or the silk worm itself — animals'
furs of every denomination — and even the precious
metals, when finely drawn, can be artificially
wrought to entice the finny tribe.

The various fishing tackle shops of this great
metropolis can readily supply my pupils now-a-
days, with rods, lines, reels, gut, hooks, silks,
pliers, &c. ; it is, therefore, useless to comment
upon these articles, as it only occupies the room of
more useful matter, and encumber these pages that
are solely allotted to the propounding an art,
which has been so long dormant, and is so essen-
tially useful to the true admirers of rural recreation ;
to give something that will convey a permanent
and correct idea of fly -making and dyeing of
colours,* is what I aim at principally, and desire

* The mohair, pig hair, dyed hackles, &c. is what I
technically term colours.

mypupils should understand ; foF when they are
inhaling the fresh breezes on the river's brink,
observing with delight the varied tints and delicate
forms of the winged insects skimming the surface,
and the sportive trout, pitching over and over,
taking them down, this is the time, perhaps, when
far from the din of a busy town, they will thank
me for my trouble in directing their attention to
the proper shades. I can vouch, by long experi-
ence, that in days when the natural flies are most
numerous, the trout will not take the feathered
hook so freely, but on the contrary, when these in-
sects are rarely to be seen, if the angler can find
out the exact colour that is then prevailing, and
imitate it (as near as possible), his success will be
considerably augmented. In days when the fish
is not in the humour of taking at all, a neatly tied
fly near the tint, and somewhat gaudy, will un-
questionably entice them to take — and I am sure,
will decidedly be more advantageous than fishing
at random. Some men in bonny Scotland will
argue, that a red and black cock hackle, tied on
the bare waxed silk, with woodcock or starling
wings and hare's lug, will do wonders in ony bourn
in Europe.

When my pupils commence to make their flies,
I wish them particularly to observe the following
few hints on the subject. — fSee the instructions ^
page 5.) When you hold the hook by the bend,
whilst tying the wings on the point of the shank,
keep your finger and thumb nails in contact with
eich other tightly, to keep them firm and from
turning round; when you <;urn the hook in the
left, holding it by the shank opposite the barbs
whilst tying on the tail, tinsel, and hackle, use the
third finger of the same hand to keep the silk
from coming off at each roll, as too many turns or
knots here would cause a clumsiness ; and when
tying on the tag of silk catch the erid under your
thumb nail, wrap it over and over to avoid knotting,
tie on the tinsel, hackle, and body, in like manner ;
when you tie on the wings, press them tightly down
with the thumb nail of the right, every turn of the
silk, and apply a little varnish in like manner — this
will harden the head, so that it never will give
way, when constantly immersed in the water. In
all the process, observe to use the nails, not the
fleshy part of your fingers and thumbs, when hold-
ing the hook, and use the materials sparingly.

THE SALMON,

" Monarch of the tide," is considered by epicures
the most delicious and highly-flavoured of our fresh
water (I may add salt, as he inhabits both) fish,
and is also a considerable commodity in the great
London market, conveyed thither by strength of
steam from all parts of the kingdom.

The angler, when repairing to the stream he fre-
quents, is delighted beyond expression, with the
fond hope of enjoying the sport this noble creature
affords. When hooked on the well-dissembled fly,
he at first makes off at a furious pace, up or down
the river ; he then begins to plunge and leap with
amazing strength and agility; when he finds he
cannot extricate himself, he falls to the bottom, and
will remain there for hours, if the angler is not on
the alert to keep him running ; tug and bend the
rod well, give him the butt until he is completely
exhausted, take him out of the current into deep
water, if possible, and he will soon turn up his sil-
very side to the sun, when you may lead him with
a straw. Sometimes, when he is in tbiS- fatigued
state, he will probably make a furious rush into
the middle, when least expected, and very fre-

quently breaks either the rod or line. (To keep
the line tight, at all times, is of the first import-
ance.)

This splendid fish haunts the deepest, stony,
and most rapid streams, and is rarely to be seen
in sullen muddy rivers, or where there is much
steam- boat traflSc. I have seen them, when stand-
ing on a rock overhanging the water, in a shoal at
the bottom, close to the main current, ready for a
spring or dart up the leap, and when they have
arrived on the top of a precipice, I have hooked
and run them down over large rocks to the pool
beneath, and when about to land them, found them
quite dead by their rapid descent ; I have also
hooked them at the foot of gravelly pools, behind
large stones in the centre, and under shelving
rocky brows in deep water.

There has been a great deal of comment written
on the production of the finny monarch by many,
calling the mottled par their fry, and leaving the
beautiful Salmon in miniature, at the mercy of the
waves, to be thought the produce of the White
Trout, or some other species of fish unknown. I
will here briefly remark, that when fishing in
mountain streams, where the Salmon could not

possibly run, 1 have taken the par, although I am
aware these noble fish will make their way up ex-
ceedingly shallow brooks from the sea in spawning
time, nevertheless, in these I have not seen the
symmetrically-formed Salmon-fry — their shape and
colour is precisely in accordance with the female
fish ; but it is not so with the par, for neither their
colour nor shape correspond with the Salmon in
the least degree.

What will my pupils say to the accounts given
upon this subject, when I tell them I have taken
the mottled par throughout the fly-fishing season,
and these beautiful silver balls periodically, at the
end of April, or beginning of May, when the Sal-
mon had disappeared, and the gilse or grauls of
the previous season returning to their native fords.
When the large fish begin to run up their respec-
tive rivers from the sea in autumn to spawn, they
make holes in the gravel with their heads, and
when they have deposited their spawn therein,
they will immediately set to work and cover it
with their tails on every side ; and for some weeks
guard it incessantly from the ravages of the large
Trout, that may be seen at a few paces distant,
ready for a charge upon the hillock of gravel, to

root up and destroy its rich contents. The poor
wearied Salmon by this time is so exhausted with
labour and anxiety protecting their propagation,
and to see it come to some perfection, before they
desist, are more like the Cod-fish than their
own species ; at last, when their toil is over, and
the work completed, they may be seen pairing off
to their native element, almost dead — sickly and
disordered by their long stay in the fresh water —
where they soon recruit their health, and become
vigorous as at the onset. On their pursuit to the
sea, they will rise greedily at the gaudy Irish fly,
but I call this taking an advantage of the poor and
needy, and by no means sportsman-like. — (See the
jointed Salmon-fly <) plate 8. J

Description of one hundred Salmon Flies, to suit
the principal Rivers in Great Britain and
Ireland ; continued from page 42.

I have borrowed the following passage from
Oliver Goldsmith's «^ Animated Nature,'' as an in-
troduction to these artificial specimens, and to
convince my readers of the existence of such like
insects.

" THE DRAGON FLY."

" Of all the flies which adorn or diversify the
face of nature, these are the most beautiful ; they
are of all colours, green, blue, crimson, scarlet,
white, some unite a variety of the most vivid tints,
and exhibit in one animal more different shades
than are to be found in the rainbow." (These
flies are produced from the cadis-worm.)

THE SHANNON FLIES,
(Continued.)

1 . Body — yellow at the tail, then blue, then orange,
then purple at the shoulder. Legs — purple and jay
hackles, struck on from the centre up. Wings —
two toppings, extending a quarter of an inch over
the bend of the hook, sprigged each side with two
or three fibres of the following feathers, peacock
wang, mallard, golden pheasant tail and neck, a
fibre of blue and yellow macaw each side with a
king-fisher in like manner. Tail — golden pheasant
crest, long feather, ribbed with gold tinsel. — Hook
No. 7, Limerick.

2. Body — tag of black ostrich, and floss silk at

the tail, then a little orange mohair or pighair, then

purple to the shoulder, (you may roll on a little

gold colour pig hair here,) ribbed with flat gold and
silver twist. Legs— dark purple hackle, up from
the tail, and orange at the shoulder, with a blue jay
feather over the head. Wings — two golden phea-
sant neck feathers, with mallard, spotted turkey,
teal, guinea hen, and a fibre of macaw on each side.
Tail — golden pheasant crest, large feather. — Hook
No. 7, Limerick.

3. Body — half orange, half purple, ribbed with
gold twist, and flat silver. Legs — orange and wine-
purple hackles, jay at the head. Wings — mallard,
and golden pheasant mixed, two fibres of the pea-
cock sword feather, two orange hackles, guinea hen,
teal, argus pheasant tail and wings, yellow green
parrot tail, bustard, blue king-fisher each side, black
ostrich head, two fibres of blue and yellow macaw.
Tail — golden pheasant topping. — Hook No. 8,
Limerick,

4. Body — orange pig hair, gold tip, and ribbed
with flat tinsel, (all these should be taper, full to
the shoulder). Legs — orange hackle from the tail
up, dark blue at the shoulder, jay round the head.
Wings — golden pheasant neck, tail, and crest, pea-
cock wing, teal, and guinea hen, bustard, and light
spotted turkey, blue macaw fibres each side, with

king- fisher feathers, black head. Tail — golden
pheasant crest. — Hook No. 9, Limerick.

5. Body — orange silk, tag of ostrich and puce
silk, ribbed with broad gold tinsel (taper). Legs
— large brown red hackle from the tail up, dark
claret, and jay hackle round the trottle. Wings —
golden pheasant crest, neck, and tail feathers mixed,
argus pheasant, yellow green parrot, teal, and guinea
hen, macaw feelers each side, with blue king- fisher.
Tail — guinea hen, teal, yellow macaw body feather,
green parrot, and ibis, two fibres of each. — Hook
No. 8 or 9, Limerick,

6. Body — sky blue and yellow floss silk, half
and half (the yellow near the tail), tag of ostrich
and puce silk, ribbed with flat gold and silver twist.
Legs — yellow hackle struck from the tail to the
centre of the body, over the yellow, and sky blue
hackle on the remainder of the shoulder, with blue
jay feather round the head. Wings — two golden
pheasant toppings, tw^o neck feathers of the same,
\vith two pieces of argus pheasant one-eighth of an
inch wide, (one piece on each side of the golden
pheasant feathers, tied on, as the Scotch fly, whole)
two fibres of macaw, and king-fisher feathers, green
parrot, a^ little mallard, peacock sword and wing

feathers, bustard, teal, and guinea hen. Tail— two
golden pheasant feathers, and at the roots a blue
king-fisher, with two fibres of blue and yellow
macaw, projecting a quarter of an inch beneath.
— Hook No. 8 or 9, Limerick.

7. Body — bronze brown floss silk, taper, tag
of orange silk, and black ostrich, ribbed with flat
and round gold. Legs — fiery brown or amber
hackle (red cock hackles, dyed in walnut rinds and
a little yellow ingredient, mixed, produces this
colour), struck from the tail up, sky blue hackle,
and jay at the head or shoulder. Wings — golden
pheasant neck feathers broken, mallard, spotted
turkey, peacock sword and wing, bustard, teal,
guinea hen, yellow macaw body feather broken,
green parrot, blue king-fisher, macaw feelers each
side, and one topping, fair in the centre, on the top,
extending a quarter of an inch longer than the
others. Tail — golden pheasant topping, long.
Black head. — Hook No. 8 or 9, Limerick.

8. Body — black pig hair, ribbed with flat and
round silver, taper, gold tip, and orange tag. Legs
— large black cock saddle hackle, struck from the
centre of the body, an orange hackle, and guinea
hen feather at the trottle. Wings— golden phea-

sant tail, both shades, neck and crest, argus
pheasant, both shades, yellow macaw body feather
broken, green parrot, sword, and wing feathers of
the peacock, king-fisher, and macaw feelers. Black
head. Tail — golden pheasant crest, with two fibres
of macaw, two of ibis, and at the roots of all a
blue king-fisher feather. Hook^ No, 6 or 7,
Limerick*

9. Body — piece of floss silk, tip of gold, and
orange or gold colour tag of silk, black ostrich,
ribbed with flat gold, and double silver twist. Legs
— wine purple, or puce hackle, from the tail to the
shoulder, a claret and orange rolled round the
trottle, jay over the head. Wings — dyed mallard,
light spotted turkey tail, bustard, teal, and guinea
hen, golden pheasant tail, neck, and crest feather,
peacock wing and sword feathers, mixed with green
and yellow macaw body feathers, feelers of blue
and yellow macaw tail feather, king-fisher, the
splendid trojan, and cock of the rock. Tail —
golden pheasant neck feather broken, and tied on
with a topping ; black ostrich harl head. Hook No.
6 or 7, (these may be varied from 5 i up to No, 5,
Limerick.^

10. Body — scarlet pig hair, tipped with gold

and orange tag, ribbed with flat and round gold,
sky-blue pig hair at the shoulder. Legs — deep
scarlet hackle from the ostrich tag to the shoulder,
sky-blue and jay rolled over the head (the blue
hackle first). Wings — two golden pheasant
toppings, two cock of the rock feathers (these are
tied on in the centre), two short golden pheasant
neck feathers, one each side, with a piece of bustard,
in like manner, peacock sword and wing feathers,
green parrot, teal, and guinea hen, blue and yellow
macaw feelers, blue king-fisher. Head — black
ostrich harl (you may vary the heads with blue,
yellow, scarlet, green of difi*erent shades, claret,
and puce ostrich feathers dyed, or pig hair).
Tail — two toppings of equal lengths. — Ho oh from
b J, to No, 5, large size, Limerick.

1 1 . Body — orange tag, gold tip, ostrich harl, rib-
bed with flat silver and gold twist ; above the ostrich,
puce silk, then red, then puce, then red again, then
claret, then black pig hair. Legs — a dark blue
and claret hackle, struck on both together, from
the centre up, jay at the trottle. Wings — dyed
mallard, golden pheasant neck and tail feather,
broken, yellow macaw body, and root of the wing
feather, mallard, peacock tail and wing, argus

pheasant, both shades, ibis, teal, and guinea hen
rump feather, mixed. Head — either green, orange,
or scarlet. Tail— two golden pheasant toppings,
short. — Hook from, h b, to No. 6, Limeinck.

12, and last of the Shannon Flies. I term this
a spirit or nymph fly, in consequence of its deli-
cately formed jointed body, of various tints ; it is
an exquisite variety, and when the Mahuig, Killig,
or Spent Salmon, are running down the rivers to
the sea, they will take it in preference to any other.
Body — four joints, a tag of black ostrich, or
various shades, and at each a small hackle, (begun
from the tail) with blue or yellow silk, then red,
orange, puce, or purple, morone, and at the shoul-
der, gold colour, ribbed with gold and silver twist,
or tinsel successively. — f See the Irish Joint-Jlt/,
plate 8. J Legs — a large scarlet and blue hackle,
rolled on together at the shoulder, after the jointed
body is formed ; (you may place on various gaudy
feathers, hackles, &c. at this place ; when you form
the joints, make the body very thin.) Wings —
two golden pheasant neck feathers, cock of the
rock, or four toppings, sprigged each side with the
following : scarlet macaw tail, the blue peacock
sword and wing feathers, argus the two shades,

green parrot tail, red ibis, bustard, mallard, dyed
yellow, teal, and guinea hen, with king-fisher,
and a very long topping, fair in the centre.
Head — black, scarlet, green, or blue ostrich.
Tail — two golden pheasant crest feathers, long. —
Hook, No. 5 to 8, Limerick, When you com-
mence making the body of this beautiful fly — first
form a quarter of an inch from the tail up, as if
you were making one fly ; and immediately above
the ostrich tag, roll on a small dyed hackle, close,
then form another piece, and so on to the shoulder ;
let it appear gradually light from the tail up, ex-
cept a gold colour occasionally at the shoulder, to
throw up the shade of the hackles that are rolled
over it. (You hold the hook by the shank when
placing on part of the body and tag of ostrich,
and turn it, holding by the bend, when rolling on
the tinsel and hackle — do not forget to use the
nails.)

SALMON FLIES FOR THE RIVER TWEED.

1. Body — first yellow, then orange, then red,
blue, scarlet, and black pig hair, ribbed with double
gold twist, tipped. Legs — dark claret or black cock
hackle, rolled from the tail up, orange pig hair, and

the same coloured hackle at the shoulder. Wings
— the black and white feathers found under the
snipe wing, one each side ; or you may use the
brown mallard, glede, black and white turkey tail
and wings. Tail — tuft of orange, red, or yellow
mohair, (one of each would be very useful), head
only the tying. — Hook^ large, No, 7 or S, Lime'
rick. The Carlisle and Kendal hooks are also
good.

2. Body — gold colour pig hair next the tail, and
black to the shoulder, ribbed with silver tinsel, a
little orange at the head. Legs — a large saddle,
(these are the strongest feathers) cock hackle from
the yellow up, (pick out the orange through the
hackle at the trottle). Wings — black and white
spotted turkey tail, or a dark bronze feather of the
same, with white tip (see the turkey and mallard
wings prepared in the plate of feathers.) Tail —
oiange tuft of mohair, short and full ; a golden
pheasant crest is equally good. — Hooky No. 8,
Limerick,

3. Body — orange near the tail, then sky blue to
the shoulder, ribbed with flat silver, and round
gold, yellow pig hair at the trottle. Legs — sky
blue hackle rolled on from the yellow up, jay at

100

the head. Wings — golden pheasant tail, crest and
neck feathers, mixed with peacock wing, teal, gui-
nea hen, bustard, cock of the rock, a little mallard,
yellow macaw, and yellow green parrot tail, yellow
and blue macaw feelers each side. Black head.
Tail — two small toppings with a king-fisher fea-
ther tied on at the roots.

4. Body — yellow green floss silk, or mohair,
blue tag, ribbed with flat tinsel and round twist.
Legs — yellow green, or golden plover hackles
from the centre up, blue jay at the trottle. Wings
— two toppings, two feathers of the cock of the rock
tail or rump, mixed with argus pheasant, both
shades, (there are three or four different kinds of
colour in this beautiful bird, a native of Austra-
lasia,) yellow green parrot tail, red ibis, blue and
yellow macaw, the orange macaw back feathers,
blue king-fisher each side. Black head. Tail —
two long golden pheasant toppings with a king-
fisher at the roots. — Hook, from No, 7 to 9,
Limerick.

5. Body — orange pig hair towards the tail, then
blue, then scarlet, ribbed with gold twist. Legs —
scarlet hackle from the blue up, a claret and jay
hackle at the trottle. Wings — two short golden

101

pheasant neck feathers, mixed with argus pheasant,
peacock tail and wing, bustard, teal, guinea hen,
yellow macaw, silver pheasant, golden pheasant tail,
yellow green parrot tail, blue king-fisher, and a
long golden topping in the centre, on the top.
Black head. Tail — a golden pheasant crest, or a
cock of the rock tail feather, drawn up short.—
Hoohy No, 6 to 9, Limerick,

6. Body — gold tip tag of puce, orange, then
blue, then yellow silk, then claret pig hair, and
black at the shoulder, ribbed with gold and silver
twist. Legs — a large dyed black cock hackle,
struck on from the claret pig hair up, blue jay at
trottle. Wings — golden pheasant neck and tail
feathers, brown turkey tail, teal, guinea hen, brown
mallard, macaw feeler, and blue king-fisher each
side, a golden pheasant topping in the centre, or
cock of the rock feather, broken, with yellow-
green parrot tail, bustard, and peacock wing.
Black head. Tail — golden pheasant crest, or cock
of the rock. — Hooh^ No, 6 to 9, Limerick,

1 , Body — orange floss silk, from the tail up,
fiery brown pig hair, or mohair, at the shoulder,
ribbed with flat and double gold twist. Legs —
fiery brown, or amber hackle, black at the roots,
blue jay at the head. Wings — mixed, and broken,

102

golden pheasant tail, neck, and back feathers?
mallard, teal, and guinea hen, silver pheasant, sword
feather of the peacock tail, yellow-green parrot,
macaw feeler, and blue king -fisher each side. Black
head. Tail — golden pheasant topping, and king-
fisher at the roots (all these wings should be very
full). — Hook, No. 8 or 9, Limerick.

8. Body— yellow pig hair, from the tail to the
centre, over this, gold twist, and yellow hackle,
very dark blue to the shoulder, with broad silver
tinsel. Legs — dark blue hackle, from the yellow
up, with guinea hen or yellow macaw body feather
round the trottle. Wings — brown mallard, or
northern glede tail, ( See plate 4J. Tail — golden
pheasant crest, or yellow macaw. — Hook, No, 8
or 9, Limerick.

9. An evening fly. Body — gold colour mohair,
or pig hair, ribbed with gold tinsel. Legs — bright
gold colour hackle, from the tail up, made full at
the trottle, with two yellow macaw feathers.
Wings —four topping, and the same quantity of neck
feathers of the golden pheasant, the latter inside,
feeler of blue and yellow macaw, king- fisher feathers
each side. Black head. Tail — two toppings of
the golden pheasant, or two or three dyed hackles

103

of the same hue. — Hook^ from No, 7 to 9,
Limerick.

10. A morning fly. Body — bronze colour
peacock tail feather, rolled from the tail up, taper,
ribbed with flat gold, yellow tag at tail and shoulder.
Legs — black cock hackle, struck from the centre
up, with two rolls of a small spotted guinea hen
back feather. Wings — sword feather of the pea-
cock tail, with a topping in the centre (two toppings
would suit better). Head — bronze harl. Tail —
a small topping, and blue king-fisher at the root.
— Hook by h b, or No, 9, Limerick.

11. Body — half yellow and sky blue floss silk
(the blue next the head), ribbed with round gold
and flat silver. Legs — a, small spotted guinea hen
struck on_^ at the centre of the body up, with a
partridge rump feather, and blue jay rolled on at
the trottle. Wings — golden pheasant tail, neck,
body, crest, peacock wing and tail, bustard, cock
of the rock, green parrot, macaw, trojan, silver
pheasant, argus pheasant, with king-fisher each side
(two fibres of each) teal. Head — ^black ostrich.
Tail— two toppings of the golden pheasant.—
Hook No. 8, 9, and b 6, Limerick.

12. Body — black pig hair, orange tag, ribbed with

104

gold and silver twist, red at the shoulder. Legs —
large black cock hackle, from the tail up, red feather
of the golden pheasant round the trottle. Wings
— ^mallard, widgeon, or brown turkey tail feather,
varied with argus pheasant, black and white spotted
turkey, silver pheasant, or large size teal feathers,
mixed sometimes with guinea hen, red head. Tail
— a topping or tuft of orange mohair. — Hooh No.
8 and 9, (you may make them on any size hook).
13. Body — yellow floss silk, blue towards the
shoulder, ribbed with gold and silver twist, (I prefer
flat gold and silver when the weather is coarse in
dark days). Legs — blue jay, from the yellow up,
yellow macaw body feather round the trottle, outside
this a grey partridge rump feather, and then a golden
plover back feather. Wings — two toppings, or
cock of the rock tail, the golden pheasant neck, tail,
and body feathers, broken, with two fibres of the
following, each side, bustard, mallard, guinea hen,
teal, peacock tail, silver pheasant, and the lightest
feather of the argus pheasant, green parrot, and
macaw, (you may give all flies feelers of the blue
and yellow macaw tail ; when I mention macaw with
out the blue, it is the body feather). Black head.
Tail — golden pheasant crest. — Hook No. 7, 8,
or ^^ Limerick.

105

There is also a fiery brown and claret fly, made
with full gaudy wings, excellent in the Tweed.

SALMON FLIES, FOR THE RIVER ERENE,
BALLYSHANNON.

1 . Body — yellow or gold colour floss silk, taper,
and ribbed with gold tinsel, blue tag at the tail,
ostrich tag. Legs — bright yellow hackle from the
tail up, with a little yellow mohair at the shoulder,
and blue jay feather. Wings — two neck feathers
of the golden pheasant and king-fisher, mixed with
the following : — yellow macaw, ibis, bustard, argus
pheasant, peacock sword and wing feather, teal,
guinea hen, yellow green parrot tail, crest. Head
— black. — Hook, No, 9, or b b, Limerick.
(These hooks are Limerick shaped, manufactured
in Dublin),

2. Body — orange floss silk, ribbed with gold
tinsel. Legs — orange hackle, from the tail up,
jay at the trottle. Wings —two feathers of the
cock of the rock, with a golden pheasant topping
each side, macaw feelers, and king-fisher. Tail —
golden pheasant crest. Black head. —Hook 9,
bb, Limerick^ varied thus : — scarlet, light brown,
or yellow-green floss silk bodies.

3. Body — lilac floss silk, ribbed with double

106

gold twist. Legs — French partridge back or
breast feather, struck on from the centre of the
body up ; blue jay rolled on at the trottle. Wings
— half a dozen fibres of golden pheasant neck,
the same quantity of brown mallard, pheasant
tail, argus pheasant, bustard, teal, guinea hen,
trojan, with one or two golden pheasant crests
tied on the top, and extending a quarter of an
inch over the others, a king-fisher each side, with
macaw tail feelers. Tail — red tipped topping.
Head — a bronze pheasant harl. Hook No. 9, b b,
Limerick.

4. Body — light dun fur, mixed with a little
yellow mohair, ribbed with flat gold. Legs — a
grizzle cock hackle (or yellow dun) and blue jay
at the trottle. Wings— the following feathers,
mixed : brown mallard, golden pheasant neck and
tail, argus pheasant, bustard, red ibis, green parrot
tail, with blue and yellow macaw feelers. Black
head. Tail— topping (short). Hook bb, b, or ccy
Limerick.

3. Body — gold colour pig hair, ribbed with
double gold twist (taper). Legs — an amber
hackle, blue jay at the trottle. Wings — two
golden pheasant toppings, mixed with feathers off

107

the neck and tail. Tail — topping. Black ostrich
head. Hook, from No. 9 to c c, Limerick.

6. Scarlet body and hackle, ribbed with gold
tinsel, and blue jay. Wings — as No. 5, mixed
with a few fibres of peacock sword feather. Black
head. Topping for tail. Hooks as above.

7. Body — half blue, half yellow, with a blue
and yellow hackle, and yellow macaw body feather
at the trottle. Wings — as above. Topping for
tail.

8. Yellow body, and brown red hackle, black
at the root, ribbed with gold tinsel. Wings —
brown mallard, mixed, with golden pheasant neck
feather broken. Tail — topping. Black head. —
Hook bby by c c, Limerick.

9. Body — cinnamon or fiery brown mohair,
hackle same colour, ribbed with gold tinsel.
Mallard wing and black head. Tail — topping
(small). Hook as No, 8.

10. Body — orange, red, and black mohair (light
towards the tail), ribbed with gold tinsel; brown-
red hackle, black at the roots. Wings — golden
pheasant tail feather. Black head. Topping for
tail. Hooks as No, 8.

11. Body — yellow floss silk, ribbed with gold

108

tinsel. Legs — two partridge hackles (or rump
feathers) struck from the centre up, blue jay at the
trottle. Wings — mixed with teal, guinea hen, and
golden pheasant neck feathers, with a fibre of
sword feather. Tail — topping. — Hook b J, h, c c.
12. Body — bronze peacock tail (taper), ribbed
with gold tinsel. Legs — brown, red saddle hackle,
and yellow macaw body feather round the trottle.
Wings— -two neck feathers of the golden pheasant,
sprigged with mallard, and hen pheasant tail.
Tail— topping, or two dyed orange hackles. Black
head. — Hook as above.

SALMON FLIES FOR THE RIVER BOYNE,
DROGHEDA.

1. Body— claret pig hair (dark), ribbed with
double gold (three turns). Legs — dark claret
hackle, struck on the centre of the body up.
Wings — brown mallard, varied with brown turkey
tail. Tail — three or four fibres of mallard, gold
tip. — Hook No.9y Limerick, (the Boyne flies will
kill in the Lakes of Killarney).

2. Body — fiery brown pig or mohair, ribbed with
gold tinsel, brown red hackle, two or three fibres
of blue macaw for tail. Wings — brown mallard

109

mixed with golden pheasant neck and tail. Head
' — black. — Hook h, b b, to No. 9, Limerick.

3. Body — half brown, half bronze peacock, ribbed
with gold tinsel, brown red cock or black hackle,
(a fly of each). Wings — mixed with brown
mallard and hen pheasant tail. Tail — of the last
mentioned feather. — Hook as above.

4. Body — half orange, half red, ribbed with gold
(sparingly). Legs— blood red* hackle, black at
the root. Wings — mixed with mallard and guinea
hen, golden pheasant neck feathers, and a little
peacock wing. Tail — toppings (small). Head —
black. — Hook No, 9, Limerick.

5. Body — claret mixed with black, purple, and
scarlet pig hair, ribbed with gold. Legs — claret
hackle (very dark) at the shoulder, and the pig hair
picked out on the body. Wings— light brown spot-
ted turkey, mixed with mallard, and hen pheasant
tail. Tail — small topping. Head — black. — Hook
b 6, or No, 9, Limerick.

6 . Body — claret, scarlet, and blue pig hair mixed,
ribbed with gold twist. Legs — two hackles, struck
on together, (blue and claret). Wings — brown
turkey tail, a little golden pheasant neck, and hen
pheasant tail (full). — Hook No. 9, Limerick.

* Red hackle, dyed claret.

110

7 . Body — green, blue, and orange mohair, mixed,
ribbed with gold and silver. Legs — blue and
orange hackle, rolled on together. Wings — hen
pheasant tail, a little blue and yellow macaw.
Tail — small topping. — Hook No.^^or bb, Limerick.

The following five flies are for Sea Trout or
Salmon Pale,* — Hook small size^from c. to bb,

8. Body — claret silk, ribbed with gold tinsel,
brown red hackle. Tail and wings — brown mallard.
— Hook c,

9. Body — purple silk, gold tag, ribbed with silver
tinsel, black hackle. Tail and wings — hen pheasant
iaiil.— Hook c c.

10. Body — orange silk, ribbed with gold twist,
brown red hackle, and grey partridge tail for wings
and tail. — Hookfff or c.

11. Body — green silk, (the body may be varied
with two or three shades) ribbed with gold tinsel,
black cock hackle. Wings and tail — hen pheasant
tail. — Hook c, or cc^ Limerick.

12. Body — scarlet floss silk, and a little purple
mohair at the shoulder, ribbed with gold twist,
scarlet hackle, blue jay, or purple at the trottle.

* Young Salmon, they are also called Gilse or Grals.

Ill

Wings and tail — spotted light brown turkey tail.
Head — black. — Hook c c. (the small ant ^y^ page
20, is also a first-rate killer in this river for sea
Trout, and the black palmer ribbed with silver and
jay wings, page 28).

SALMON FLIES FOR THE RIVER NESS,
INVERNESS.

1. Body — yellow tag of pig hair, black to the
shoulder (here roll on a little yellow hair), ribbed
with silver twist. Legs — black cock hackle.
Wings — the white tipped feather of the jungle
cock. Tail — a small topping. — Hook b h^ Limerick,

2. Body — orange and black mohair, ribbed with
gold twist (the orange next the tail). Legs — black
hackle and jay. Wings — two small neck and two
long topping feathers of the golden pheasant (the
neck feathers inside). Tail — topping. Black
head. — Hook No, 9, or h b, Limerick.

3. Body — half yellow, near the tail, half purple,
ribbed with gold twist (the twist withstands the
fishes' teeth best). Legs — dark purple hackle, with
a little orange or red pig hair at the trottle, and
blue jay. Wings — guinea hen, golden pheasant
neck, crest, and tail feathers, mixed with peacock's

112

wing, yellow and blue macaw feelers (the king-fisher
is not necessary for the flies of this river). Tail
— topping.— ^-iToo^ No. 9, or b J, Limerick.

4. Body — yellow-green pig hair, ribbed with
gold, orange silk tag, with another of peacock's
green sword feather. Legs — ^black hackle, blue
jay at the trottle. Wings — teal, a small quantity,
guinea hen, golden pheasant topping, tail, and back
feathers, mixed with green parrot bustard (or hen
pheasant tail). Tail — topping. — Hook b b,
Limerick.

5. Body-— half green silk, and half bronze pea-
cock harl, ribbed with gold and silver twist. Legs
— black hackle, orange at the head and blue jay.
Wings — topping, and hen pheasant tail. Black
head. Topping for tail. Hooks , b, b b,

6. Body — black mohair, ribbed with gold tinsel.
Wings — brown mallard, and topping for tail.
— Hooky b b.

7. Body — yellow -green mohair, red hackle,
ribbed with gold ; topping for tail ; mallard, guinea
hen, brown turkey, and golden pheasant neck, tail,
and topping for wings. (The wings of all Ness flies
should be made spare, two fibres of each is suffi-
cient, except when there are toppings used).

113

8. Yellow mohair at the tail, brown to the head,
ribbed with flat gold. Legs —black cock hackle
and jay. Wings — topping, guinea hen, hen phea-
sant tail, the wood duck,* and argus pheasant.
Tail — topping (short). — Hook^ J, b by Limerick.
(It may be varied with a dark brown hackle.)

9. Body — gold colour tag of pig hair at the
tail, purple to the shoulder, ribbed with silver twist,
gold tag of hair at the shoulder. Legs — purple
hackle and jay. Wings — silver pheasant, hen
pheasant tail topping, and neck feather broken.
Tail — topping (short). — ffook, as above.

10. Body— peacock harl (taper), gold tinsel.
Legs — brown-red hackle and jay. Wings — two
toppings, and a small neck feather of the golden
pheasant in the centre. Tail — topping (small),
varied with black hackle. — Hook, b, b b*

11. Body — red tag of mohair, then black, then
a little red, then black again, ribbed with gold
twist. Legs — black cock hackle (or heron feather).
Wings— spotted turkey tail, or guinea hen rump
feather. (Small topping, or a tuft of yellow mo-
hair for tail.) — Hooky as above.

12. Body — yellow, yellow hackle, and gold

* A South American bii'd, tliu leathers are found on its
sides beneath the wings.

114

topping for tail, and toppings for wings. Black
head. (This is an excellent fly in any river at
night, or in dark days). — Hooky b h, or No. 9.

SALMON FLIES FOR THE RIVER SPEY.

1. Body — black mohair or floss, ribbed with
silver ; brown red hackle ; and guinea hen feathers,
mixed with hen pheasant tail for wings, a topping
in wing and tail, (Varied with blue body
teal wings, with a black hackle and body.) — Hook,
J, or b 6, Limerick,

2. Body — bronze colour silk, ribbed with gold
ostrich tag. Legs — brown-red hackle. Wings
— red feathers of the golden pheasant, mixed with
the following : guinea hen, teal, yellow macaw, red
ibis, hen pheasant tail. Tail— topping. Black
head. (Make the wings sparingly for all rapid
streams). — Hooky b by Limerick.

3. Body — blue dun, mixed with orange mohair,
ribbed with gold tinsel. Legs— grizzle hackle and
blue jay at the trottle. Wings — two red pheasant
feathers, sprigged with golden pheasant neck, tail,
and crest, bustard or hen pheasant tail, guinea hen.
Tail — topping. Black ostrich head. — Hook b by
or No. 9.

115

4. Body — claret silk ribbed with gold tinsel.
Legs — black or claret hackle, blue jay. Wings —
mallard, hen pheasant tail, and golden pheasant
neck and tail feathers, mixed. Tail — topping.
Head — peacock harl (green). — Hook h h^ Limerick,

3. Body — yellow mohair, and black cock hackle,
ribbed with gold ; topping for tail. Wings — mal-
lard, and guinea hen Head — green peacock harl,
(or light brown mohair body ; black heron hackle ;
wings, mallard and silver.) — Hook cc^ Limerick,

6. Body — yellow or gold colour mohair, ribbed
with flat gold. Legs — red cock hackle. Wings
— toucan, spotted turkey, neck of the golden
pheasant, two or three toucan feathers, with feelers
of macaw. Tail — toucan feathers. Black head.
— Hook c, Limerick,

7. Body — yellow silk, yellow hackle, gold tin-
sel. Wings — golden pheasant crest. Tail — small
topping. Black head. — Hook cc,orb S, Limerick.

8. Body — yellow silk, ribbed with gold, guinea
hen back feather for hackle. Wings — gaudy,
mixed. Tail — topping. Head — green peacock
harl (varied with a partridge rump feather). —
Hook h h,

9. Body — blue and yellow mohair or floss silk

116

(blue next the tail), ribbed with gold tinsel.
Legs — blue hackle, small, and small yellow hackle
or macaw feather round the trottle. Wings — a
small quantity of each of the following: golden
pheasant neck, back, and tail, macaw, pan-ot, and
mallard. Tail — small topping. Head — green pea-
cock tail. — Hook c, c c. Limerick,

10. Body — claret silk, ribbed with silver twist.
Legs — dun heron hackle, and the same wing.
Tail — two fibres of macaw. — Hook c c.

11. Body — brown floss silk, gold tinsel, and
black heron or toucan black feather for legs. No
tail. — Hook &, Limerick.

12. Body — dark green silk or mohair, silver
tinsel, hackle dun heron feather (found on the
neck, body, and wings). Wings — bittern feathers.
(The plumage of the bittern is very useful for wing-
ing and hackling Welsh flies.

The following fly I have introduced as a good
killer, fished with by a poacher, residing on the
banks of the rapid Spey.

Body — ^brown mohair, ribbed with three turns of
gold twist. Legs — a brown feather of a cock's
tail, or brown-red hackle. Wings — brown mal-

117

lard, varied with claret and green body, bittern and
teal wings (silver). — Hook No. 9, bb, Limerick.

A small yellow fly is also very useful when the
river is high, made of toppings and yellow floss
silk body ; hackle same colour, with gold tinsel.

THREE SALMON FLIES FOR THE FINDORN,
ELGIN, NEAR THE SPEY.

1. Body — brown mohair, gold tinsel, and silver
twist. Legs — brown feather (a large dark brown
grouse or cock*s tail, motley brown). Wings —
brown mallard. — Hook No, 8 or 9, Limerick,

2 Body — brown mohair, silver tinsel. Legs —
motley brown feather. Wings — brown mallard.

3. Body —dark red-brown pig hair, silver tinsel.
Legs — very black-red hackle, from tail to head.
Wings — mallard, brown turkey tail, or salmon tail
glede (varied with dark claret or dyed brown
hackles). — Hook No. 8 or 9.

FOUR FLIES FOR THE RIVERS DEE AND
DON, ABERDEEN.

1. Body — light blue mohair, black red hackle,
and very small spotted turkey wings, a short yellow
tail (a small topping). — Hook c c, Limerick.

118

2. Body — blue mohair, silver twist, black
hackle. Wings — teal, or black and white spotted
turkey tail feather. — Hooky b.

3. Brown peacock harl, silver tinsel, black-red
hackle ; teal, or mallard wing (one of each would
be found useful). — Hook, cc, or b b.

4. Body — brown silk or mohair, mixed with a
little blue, orange, and a slight tinge of green,
ribbed with silver twist, brown-red hackle, black at
root. Wings — dun heron, or light mallard,
varied with teal and bittern wings. — Hook, b, (I
would recommend the angler to have recourse to
small gaudy flies on these rivers, when the water
is high.)

FIVE SALMON FLIES FOR THE RIVERS BRORA
AND SHIN, SUTHERLAND.

1. See the Salmon-fly described, at the sequel
of route to the streams.

2 . Body — orange tag, and black all the way up,
silver tinsel. Legs — black heron, or toucan feather.
Wings — peacock wing. — Hook c c, b, or b b,
Limerick,

3. Body — brown mohair, gold tinsel, black
heron or toucan black feathers, peacock wing, or

119

varied thus : — grouse hackle with the same body,
and mallard wing (gold) ; it may also be made with
a bittern wing. — Hooks as above.

4. Body — purple mohair, mixed with orange,
and a tinge of green, silver tinsel. Legs — black
or dark purple hackle. Wings— motley brown,
turkey tail, (orange tag). — Hooks as above.

5. Body — light green mohair, silver tinsel,
black hackle. Wings— peacock wing, or teal.
Hooks as above. (The bodies of these flies, and
all others fished with in mountain streams, should
be very thin, and the wings light in comparison.)

The river Beaulie flies are very similar to the
above five, and the two following, except a little
more gaudy.

1. Body— yellow-green mohair, gold tinsel,
small red hackle, and blue jay, with a little blue
mohair under it picked out. Wings — motley-brown
turkey, mixed with golden pheasant tail and neck ;
guinea hen, teal, and macaw feelers ; black ostrich
head. Hook No. 9, or BB. (A fly of each
would be found useful.)

2. Body -gold colour tag, black to the shoul-
der, gold tinsel, (three rolls.) Legs— black hackle;
brown turkey tail, mallard, or golden pheasant

120

tail (varied with brown and orange bodies, and
mixed wings, toppings for tail.)

THREE SALMON FLIES FOR THE RIVER TAY,

PERTH.

1. Body — brown mohair, ribbed with gold, dark
brown red hackle (saddle.) Wings - light brown,
spotted turkey tail; red tag. (The body should
be made thin and long.) Hooh^ 7 or 8,

2. Body — bronze peacock harl, gold tinsel, long
and thin. Legs — brown red hackle (from the
tail up.) Wings — brown mallard, or hen pheasant
tail. Hook, No. 8 or 9.

3. Body — brown mohair, gold tinsel. Legs —
a large grouse. Wings — mallard, brown turkey,
or hen pheasant tail. (The angler should give the
gaudy flies a trial in all these rivers, particularly
near their disembougement.)

The Salmon-flies for the river Clyde should be
made with black, brown, green, red, and peacock
bodies ; wings of turkey tail, with a white tip,
(with black and brown feathers) — gold twist.

The Salmon-flies for the rivers Doon and Stin-
cher, are yellow or gold colour mohair at the tail,
then orange, brown, and black, three parts up to

121

the head (gold twist) — and wings of light brown
turkey, with white tip, or glede tail (the Cape duck
is also good.)

The Salmon-flies for Loch Lomond are very-
similar, except yellow and light green mohair bo-
dies ; red hackles. ( Hooks from No, 7 to 9,
Limerick.)

The Awe-flies are also plain, varied thus ; —
peacock bodies, gold tinsel ; grey mallard, guinea
hen, teal, and spotted black and white turkey
feathers — (tail — yellow tuft.)

THREE SALMON-FLIES FOR THE RIVER TYNE,
NEWCASTLE.

Bodies — red, brown, green, mixed with orange
and blue. Wings— mallard, argus pheasant, light
brown and dark turkey tails, glede, and Cape duck,
ribbed with gold ; yellow, red, and orange tails ;
(and also a fly with a black body, teal wing, yel-
low tail, black hackle, and silver tinsel, varied with
brown body.) Hook large^ No. 6, 7, 8,

The Salmon-flies for Wales are, yellow bodies,
yellow hackles, bittern wings, gold tinsel, or dun
heron wings, bittern hackles, yellow or dirty lemon
colour bodies ; — some with yellow dun bodies and
hackles ; dyed mallard and bittern mixed for

122

wings. Bodies made very full and taper. The
Doon and Stincher flies are first-rate killers in the
noble river Wye.

Two Salmon-flies for Norway, purchased at the
author's, by Sir Hyde Parker, Bart, in 1841 ; and
returned, as most killing patterns, the next season.

1. Body— deep gold colour pig hair, gold tin-
sel, scarlet at the shoulder. Legs — a bright olive
hackle, and a cream coloured spotted turkey tail,
or peacock wing. (These hackles are superb for
any river.)

2. Body — gold colour pig hair, gold tinsel, red
hackle, and a tag of red mohair at the head.
Wings — brown mallard, varied thus: — scarlet body,
black hackle, mallard, or turkey tail (motley) ;
yellow and orange bodies, with the same wings and
hackles.

The Lake-flies for Ireland are, bright mohair
bodies, such as orange, gold colour, yellow-green,
red, olive, claret; golden olive, red, and yellow-green
hackles. Wings — brown mallard, turkey brown,
and mottled ; hen pheasant tail, with golden phea-
sant ; gold twist.

The Scotch lake-flies are very similar, except
grey wings of teal, turkey, liglrt4ind dark mallard.

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123

(Gaudy flies do remarkably well in the lakes of
both countries.)

THE ENGLISH AND IRISH HOOKS COMPARED
BY THEIR RESPECTIVE NUMBERS.

C — Lake size, Irish ; or, No. 6, English.

FFF, Irish, or No. 7 English; or. No. 8 English.

F, Irish ; or, No. 10, 9 English.

FE, Irish ; or, No. 12 EngUsh.

Midge Irish ; or, No. 13, 14 English.

The English Salmon hooks run large, from No.
1 , upwards. (See the Limerick, or Dublin hooks,
described in page 43.)

W. Slackers easy method of making the Scotch
Trout and Salmon jiieSy particularly recom-
mended for the young beginners of the gentle
craft.

TO MAKE THE SCOTCH TROUT FLY.

When you have the hook and gut firmly tied
together, flatten the end of the gut a little, and lay
on a little varnish over the tying ; you then strip off
two pieces from the starling or bunting's wings (the
pinion feathers) of equal length, lay them together
even at the points, that you may have no occasion

124

to nip them straight with your nails, as this gives
them a blunt unnatural appearance ; — you then
hold the hook by the bend in the left fore
finger and thumb nails, and with the right lay on
the wings at the extreme end of the shank, the
reverse way ; take two turns of the silk over them,
cut off the refuse ends with your scissors, and be-
fore you form the body or strike on the hackle,
turn them up in their proper place (the wings
must appear the exact length of the hook when
turned) ; divide them with the tying silk, draw it
in and out between them ; fasten with a running
knot behind them, next to the body ; then tie
on a hackle, to suit the size of the fly, by the
root close to the wings on its back ; strip off the
flue, and with the right hand draw out a little mo-
hair (you hold the hook now by the shank) and
twist it round the silk sparingly ; roll it on from
the tail to the shoulder, (you may begin the body
opposite the barb on the shank of the hook) ; turn
the hook in your hand and hold it by the bend ;
take hold of the point of the hackle in your pliers,
place your right fore finger in the hoop, and roll
it from you over the shoulder, immediately under
the wings ; then draw it right through them ; let

125

the pliers hang at the head, and take two turns of
tlie silk over it, fasten on the extreme end of the
shank, cut off both the silk and hackle points, and
your fly is complete.

You may tie on floss silk, hare's ear fur, or pea-
cock harl for body, in the same way as the fore-
going mohair, beginning at the tail, and finishing
at the head ; or at the shoulder, and finish at the
tail ; tie on floss silk at the tail, and roll it taper
evenly up, take a long hold of it to keep it clean.
Tail, tip, or rib your fly, if requisite, after the
wings are tied on and turned. ( See pages 6 and

10.; ^

TO MAKE THE SCOTCH SALMON FLY.

Tie on the Salmon hook to a length of twisted
gut or loop (see the loops of the plates of flies
on Salmon hooks, and plate 1) firmly, and lay on a
little varnish — this prevents slipping ; then take two
pieces of turkey tail feather of equal size (see
the turkey tail and mallard wings prepared in the
plate of feathers) and tie them on the exact
length of the hook shank the reverse way, as you
would the Trout-fly wings (see the wings tied on
the reverse way, plate 7, on Salmon hooks), to

126

appear, when turned, in proportion;* turn the
hook in the hand, and hold it by the bend ; tie on
the tinsel, tail, and hackle (see the hackle cut
at point in the plate of feathers) ; you again turn
the hook in your hand, and hold it by the bend;
lay on a little floss silk or pig hair, and roll it over
to the shoulder, then the tinsel (three turns) ;
fasten it at the same place, then take hold of the
root end of the hackle in your right, and roll it
slantingly over the body in like manner, close to
the tinsel, (roll the hackle spare until you come
to the shoulder, and here take two or three extra
turns to give the fly a full appearance) ; take
the fly now in your left, and draw the fibres of the
hackle underneath your finger and thumb — this
keeps them out of the way until the wings are
turned ; you turn up the off-side wing first, and
take a turn or two of the silk over it, then the near
wing in like manner; take two turns over it, and
guard the gut at the end of the shank, finishing
with two running knots immediately under the
head on the shank. (See Scotch fly, complete,
plate 9 ; or, the wings of plate 4, tied on last.)

* It is best to cut the wings with a sharp penknife, the
exact width, from oflf the stem of the turkey tail feather,
to prevent the fibres from breaking, and hold them tightly
between the nails when tying them on.

127

Note — the wings may be turned in their proper
place before you make the body in this method, or
you may form the body first, and then tie on the
wings ; begin at the shoulder and finish at the tail,
or at the tail and finish at the shoulder, and roll
on the tinsel and hackle in like manner.

TO MAKE THE SPINNING MINNOW TACKLE.

You first tie three sets of c or No. 7 hooks
together (three hooks in each set), in the form of
a grappling iron, with waxed silk (or you may tie
two hooks together first, the third when you have
the two first tied on the gut), you then take a
length of strong Salmon gut, single hair, and tie
three of the hooks, that is to say, three of the
hooks previously tied together, back to back, to
the strongest end of the gut ; you then take other
three, lay them on, let the bends come in con-
tact with the extreme ends of the shanks of the
first set, secure these, and tie on the third set in
like manner, allowing the whole to be a finger
length (you may leave a sufficient space between
the hooks to receive any size live bait, and use
No. 9 or 10 hook, for Trout fishing in rivers) ;
you now tie a sliding hook on the gut, above the

128

third set, thus — lay on a second piece of gut to
the length the hooks are attached to, on these lay
the shank of the single hook, allow the bend to be
in the same position with the others, then take a
piece oT waxed silk and roll it tightly over the
shank, and fasten it with two running knots in the
centre ; now draw out the loose piece of gut, lay
on a little varnish, let it dry, and your hook will
slide to and fro freely on the gut. (Observe to
use a little varnish w^hen securing all your hooks,)
To bait the hooks, you take a minnow, or any
other sort of fish, td suit your purpose ; fasten one
of the end hooks in its tail, contract the tackle a
little, to give it a gentle bend ; fasten one of the
second set in its back, and one of the third behind
the head or shoulder ; then place the sliding hook
in its lip, to keep the bait steady. When using it
in deep still water, draw off the line from the reel
at the butt of your rod to the extent you are about
to pitch the bait ; then take the rod in the left,
the minnow in the right, and throw it sideways
into the pool ; the line now flies through the rings
with great velocity ; you then take the line in the
right above the reel, draw it in as quick as possible
towards the shore, and most probably, during its

129

passage through tlie water, you will succeed in
hooking a large fish. You must take every pre-
caution to let your line out when the fish is on,
without snarling ; and keep the point of the rod
to the sun, your left to the butt, your right to the
reel, and both eyes to the manoeuvering your
finny prize. (Observe the position the rod is in,
held by the figure in the act of playing a fish ;
plate, fly-fishing scene.) At the end of the length
of gut, attach a small swivel ; at two lengths
above this another ; and another to make the bait
spin well.

The artificial minnow mentioned (see route to
the streams) is a capital bait, when the water is
the colour of whey after a fresh — fished with in
rapid currents, where large Trout and Salmon
haunt during the heat of the summer season.

GEO. NICHOLS, PRINTEB, EASL'S COUBT, LEICESTEE SQUARE,

130

Having endeavoured in this little treatise
to instruct my readers, to the best of my
ability, in the art of Fly Making, an art so
essential to the success of those who aspire
to become skilful fly-fishers, I will conclude
with an earnest hope, that those who have
sought for instruction in the perusal of
these pages, may not consider my labour
thrown away, but will rest assured, that the
information I have striven to impart, is the
result of many years' experience and practice.
A Child of the Brook.

Note, — A simple method of making the Palmer
— Roll on the hackle first, at the end of the
shank, and instead of securing it at the extreme
point, fasten it with a running knot underneath
the feather, and draw it back towards the gut
length out of the way ; begin the body at the tail,
and finish it under the hackle, in like manner ;
then draw the hackle in its proper place over the
body. You may use any variety of hackle, or any
coloured silk for body, in this way. Tie the
hackle on by the root.

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Full text of "W. Blacker's art of angling, and complete system of fly making and dying [sic] of colours : illustrated with plates shewing the difference processes of the fly before it is finished, giving the angler a perfect knowledge of every thing requisite to complete him in this noble art"

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